Scarlet Waters
by RubyNightsGavlyn
Summary: Being reborn into the Bloody Mist wasn't good for one's psyche. [OC SI]
1. DROP I - Memento Mori

**Disclaimer: _Naruto_ © Masashi Kishimoto. The only things I own are my OCs and I gain nothing from writing this story besides the pleasure.**

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**.Scarlet Waters - Chapter One - Memento Mori.**

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The day I died in my world was the same day that I was born into another one.

Life is something that is often taken for granted by many and death is something that is often pushed back into the farthest corners of the mind, where it looms as a silent and perpetual reminder that all things must eventually come to an end. _Memento mori_, as they say, _remember death_.

Still...

No one expects, or even remembers death, until it's presented in an obvious form, like a harsh and violent sucker punch to the face. One minute everything is fine with your life and, then, in the next, everything is falling apart so very rapidly, too rapidly for you to catch the pieces and put everything back together again.

It was like that for me.

In one moment, I was enjoying life to its fullest as I rode carelessly around the curves of a mountain road and, in the next, I was careening off the edge and into the deep blue waters that I _knew_ would be my grave. It was like one of those dramatic scenes from a movie where, once the tragic action began, everything descends into slow motion and the sounds fade, leaving only a pregnant and empty void of silence.

Even as I hit the water and began to go under, it took several seconds for everything to click and register. Panic and adrenaline began to set in, doing much more harm than good, as I wasted several precious seconds of air struggling to escape, only to remember that...I didn't even know how to swim. To think that, something as situational as learning to _swim_ was a large catalyst in my demise. It was sad—in both senses of the word. I'd _never_ swam in the entirety of my life.

If only I had taken the time to learn, I would probably still be...

After the final realization that _I wasn't going anywhere_, everything abandoned me in one huge rush.

In the end, my final view was of the fragmented shards of a bright, warm light that I thought I would never be able to witness again.

**~{I}~**

Awareness returned to me in short and infrequent bursts.

It was like I was still underwater but, even as I blinked my eyes open, darkness was the only sight for my eyes. I couldn't see where I was. I was _numb _but fleeting moments of feeling allowed me to get a basic knowledge of where I was. I was curled up in a ball with my arms trapping my legs to my chest, suspended in a prison of liquid...and something _squishy_. There was a lot of movement, too.

A lot of violent, almost nonstop movement.

_Is this life after death?_ I wondered as consciousness fled me once again. _Is this all there is for me...?_

**~{I}~**

The Woman wondered why the gods had forsaken her and her baby.

She had been driven away from her home by invaders and her family had been slaughtered mercilessly. Her beloved husband had been taken from her as well, throwing himself into harm's way to protect their unborn daughter and her. Even now, the woman was sure that her pursuers had yet to cease searching for her. The Woman swallowed the sounds of despair as she continued rowing her small boat with all her might through the thick fogs that hovered over the desolate waters. A sharp pain lanced through her body and she grimaced as she ignored the it in favor of stopping for a short moment.

"Please, hold on, sweetie." The Woman whispered softly as she pushed out her senses, feeling around for any potentially hostile energy. "Let momma get you to safety. _Please_."

As if in response, the pains subsided almost immediately. A small smile cracked on her pale face as she rubbed her belly absently, lovingly and fell into a state of concentration. The width of her perception field wasn't as wide as it could've been, most likely due to a combination of her pregnancy and the admittedly vulnerable state of her emotions and the frailness of her body. After one...two...four...six...eight...ten...twenty seconds, she wasn't able to feel anyone near her.

The Woman let out a slow breath of anxiousness and then a sharp intake of air as another lance of pain coursed through her. A groan forced its way from her throat as she weakly hoisted up the oars, once again setting her boat in motion towards her destination of land. The Woman had long since discarded the hopes that she was going in the direction of the mainland continent—the fogs that surrounded her were much too thick and had yet to relent regardless of how far and how long she had been rowing. She knew where she and her baby was headed.

She didn't like it, either.

The Woman had little to no choice in the matter. It was either make it to shore and find help or have her baby on her boat, where they both would probably perish from lack of sufficient medical attention or from a lack of food and supplies. The choice was a very obvious and simple one for her. A swift kick to her insides indicated that her baby also agreed—or that was how the Woman had decided to interpret it.

"Just a bit longer now..." The Woman whispered softly as the distant island slowly loomed from the mist. "Just a little longer..."

It was seconds, minutes and then hours before the woman was able to finally, _finally_ dock her boat onto the sandy shores. It was tough but the Woman was able to ease herself from the unstable wooden boat with some very careful maneuvering and she let out a tired but triumphant huff as she staggered towards a boulder to lean against to catch her breath and prepare for another bout of sensing.

"A-all right." Her hands pressed together, forming a sign with her fingers pointed skywards and she fell into that previous state of concentration.

Unlike last time, the Woman was able to sense a very faint signature a distance away from her. It wasn't very large and the woman concluded it was because the person was a civilian. Another kick from her child pulled her out of her perception field, along with that sharp pain that had her wincing and gritting her teeth as she forced her legs to continue towards that plume of energy she'd managed to lock on to.

"Please let me make it... Just let me have my baby..." The Woman bit back another groan of pain as she trudged from the beach and into the sparse forest of trees. "Please, just—!"

And, then, the Woman felt something she wasn't quite ready to feel. She was reluctant to look down but it wasn't as if she could ignore the wetness trickling down her legs. Yet again, her choices were limited. The Woman could only pray that whatever gods were looking out for her would continue to do so.

If not for her, then, at least, for her child.

**~{I}~**

_Something's happening._

I was in that state of half consciousness but I could feel it. The fleshy walls around me convulsed and the water I floated in began to rapidly drain away.

_Something's happening._

A force or pressure was pushing me out of that place and there was another _pulling _me away. After being numb and in the dark for what felt like an eternity, all the sensations that was forcing themselves on my body felt like it was too much for me.

I felt like was choking...

...like I was drowning...

_Is this all there is for me...?_

But...

I wasn't in water any longer and, then, there was a...a burning _heat_ that clung to me for the briefest of moments until... I was cold, shivering uncontrollably and... There were noises, _loud_ noises, and something lightly hitting me on my back.

I coughed.

There were more noises.

Muffled, like I had cotton stuck in my ears, but I could tell that someone was speaking. Then, I wasn't cold any longer. It felt like my whole entire being was wrapped in warmth and softness, not just physically either. The fuzziness in my ears lifted and... I could hear a voice. A soft, breathy voice whispering something...and there was a gentle pressure on the top of my head.

All of sudden, I was being lifted up and cradled by something or..._someone_. I blinked open my eyes, able to see but unable to pick out any distinct features of anything. If I could compare it to anything, it would be like looking at a distorted photo or a piece of text that had been water-damaged into obscurity. Above me, though, I could see a figure of some sort—a _person_, I think. There was a bit of...peach and some grey and a _lot_ of dark blue.

More sounds filled my ears. My body was jolted slightly, shocking a noise from me. It felt like I was crying with my mouth as wide open as possible.

Wait... _Wait_.

_What?_

_Something's different._

Someone was talking again and my body was being rocked back and forth, like a...almost like a baby. It reminded me of when my mother would pull me into her arms and rock me gently and whisper words of comfort when I was younger...

It reminded me of_ home_.

Slowly... Everything was fading to black.

...Consciousness was leaving me again.

_What's happening to me...?_

_Am I dead or...?_

_..._

_.._

_._

**~{I}~**

As a retired midwife, Kasumi had the fortune of participating in and witnessing many births.

She'd been there for the birth of one of Second Mizukage's nieces (which she would admit was rather uncomfortable—Kasumi didn't quite like being present for Hōzuki births when certain complications arose) and she'd been there for the birth of the Third Mizukage's grandson and many more lesser but still just as deserving individuals. There _were_ times where neither mother nor child would survive and there were times when only the mother or the child by themselves would survive, as such was this case.

It must've been some kind of divine intervention that had Kasumi out for a mid-afternoon stroll where she had come across the heavily pregnant young woman practically in the middle of birthing her child. The elder had hesitated for only a brief second before her instincts kicked in and she was slowly easing the pained woman back to the orphanage that she ran along with her lone helper, a girl named Nanami.

Said girl generally ran around like a headless chicken when Kasumi came in with her..._patient_, for lack of a better word. Kasumi sent Nanami a sharp stare that had her gulping in fear. The retired midwife had a storage room that was relatively clear of any junk that held a spare futon, just in case of..._anything_, really. She'd gently placed the woman down, muttering soft words of comfort to her patient before she immediately turned around to bark orders at the jittery Nanami and to shoo away the older children who peeked in with varying degrees of curiosity.

Her young patient looked so _haggard_ and _tired_, her skin pale and clammy as she panted out panicked breaths and stared at Kasumi with wide eyes as she clung to her hand. "P-plea—"

"Hush now, darling. I will care for you and your child." She gave the woman a smile practiced for many years. "Just calm. Down."

The unknown woman stared at her for another moment before slowly nodding. "Thank yo—" She whined in pain, her shoulders hunching and body tensing up as Kasumi rubbed her hand gently.

"Relax." Kasumi placated softly before yelling, "_Nanami_! Hurry with my equipment!"

The girl bleated out a response from another room, before she ran in and quickly deposited her bag of equipment, returned with some towels and finally brought in a large basin of water a few minutes later. She bit her lip, hovering over Kasumi's shoulder before the elder woman snapped her head around to glare at her. She left with nothing but a small yelp. Kasumi merely shook her head at the girl's actions, pursing her lips together as she turned back towards her patient.

It took her only a few minutes to prepare everything and, during that time, she had to mask the grim look that sprouted on her face when she realized that she didn't have any chakra supplements for the woman to take. It was more of cautious standard procedure than anything, given that she didn't have any way of gauging how much chakra a person had.

Just like with the food a mother ate, the baby also fed on chakra that she produced. Many civilian women who'd coupled with a shinobi would often have to take chakra supplements to support their baby whose chakra coils and system would be more developed than if they'd coupled with a civilian man. Kasumi wasn't sure about this woman and she was hesitant to really ask as she had a feeling the young woman wouldn't divulge any information to her. She wanted to ask—she _really_ wanted to ask—but...

There was..._something_ about the woman.

Something about the heavy bags beneath eyes. Something about the guarded look in her murky green stare. Something about the smell of seawater that clung to her clothing and skin. Something about the way Kasumi had found her, staggering on the worn path amidst the trees with dampened pants. Something about how she was so heavily pregnant but without husband or family by her side.

Kasumi just _knew_ there was something...

Kasumi shook off that train of thought, turning them to the options of what she could do to prolong the woman's life. There was the option of going to Kiri but going would take about one day and a half, with additional time to locate a doctor or buy over-the-counter supplements. Kasumi wouldn't be able to go—she needed to stay by her patient's side—but she could possibly send Nanami. The girl was surprisingly quick on her feet and versed enough to ask the right questions and say the right things.

Yes, that could work.

The old woman nodded to herself, opening her mouth to call for the blue-haired girl but the noise died in her throat when the woman squeezed her hand with such a powerful grip and released such a tormented, guttural scream. Kasumi flinched but ignored the pain in her hand, knowing that the unknown woman was going through something much, _much_ more painful. Kasumi let out a silent sigh as she gazed into the woman's narrowed eyes, catching sight of defeat but also that of _acceptance_.

So, she knew...

The old woman let her head drop slightly. "My dear, don't you want to...?" _Live?_

Her teeth clenched and her eyebrows knotted. "I-I can't... My baby can't— I can't—" _I don't think my body will hold out for much longer than this._

Kasumi breathed out another silent sigh as the woman gave her hand another softer squeeze. The woman didn't say anything else and neither did Kasumi. Instead, she sat by the unknown woman's side faithfully and picked up a damp cloth, wiping away the beads of sweat the sprung up over her pale skin and lending comforting words until they were at that moment when the woman's child was ready to be born.

Kasumi found it all disconcerting, for some reason.

The woman's screams were particularly haunting, what with the way that she shrieked until her voice had gone hoarse and the way that her child—her _daughter_, Kasumi observed—was so very _quiet_. Her only noise was a tiny cough when Kasumi patted her back to help clear away the fluid from her mouth.

"Here's your baby, dear." She had said quietly, laying the wrapped infant in the dying woman's weak arms.

The young woman had ignored her, her dark eyes glazing over with unshed tears. Her full attention was on the oddly quiet child who she looked at with such _love_ that it made tears prick at the corners of Kasumi's eyes because she _knew_ that mother and daughter would not be together for much longer—it was so painful watching someone fade away right in front of you. The old woman had experienced many a deaths but it was something that she would _never_ grow used to. She wasn't sure how the shinobi were able to do so, not even counting the fact they were usually responsible for those deaths.

"H-hello there, little one..." Her smile was tender as she whispered to the child in her arms. "I-I'm your m-momma. We p-probably won't be t-together for very long b-but...it's probably b-better if yo-ou're not near me. M-momma tends to a-attract p-problems." The unknown woman coughed out a sardonic laugh. "B-but know that m-momma loves you very much. All r-right?" She pressed a weak and gentle kiss atop of the child's head.

The woman's eyes lifted up to Kasumi, tears pooling as she reluctantly lifted the small child up, beckoning for Kasumi to take her. Kasumi did so, tucking the girl into the crook of her arm as she looked over the weakened woman with regret marring her face.

"T-thank you for b-being so kind..." She gasped out with a small, tired smile on her lips as she grasped Kasumi's free hand with a disturbingly tight grip. "I-I know y-you'll take c-care of my little g-girl..."

"_Of course_." She _did_ run an orphanage and Kasumi wondered if this was also some kind of divine working. "I love _all_ these children like they are my own."

"G-good. I'm g-glad." The woman tilted her head slightly, her eyes slowly falling closed as she spoke, "T-that's...so...v-very...reassuring... Please...make su-ure me 'nd h-her don't m-meet anyt-time so-on..." Her words trailed off, her head lolling to the side as her eyes closed completely and the little warmth that clung to her hands began to fade.

_Why did it come to this?_ Kasumi wondered as placed the limp appendage over the woman's stomach. _Why did it have to be one life in exchange of another?_

"Granny Kasumi...?" Nanami's voice was hesitant as she stood in the doorway with trembling hands. Her orange eyes darted back and forth between the deceased body and Kasumi. "Do you... Do you want me to contact someone to...?"

Kasumi looked over at the woman's still body before she nodded shortly. She watched as Nanami skittered off, presumably to send for a ninja to come dispose of the woman's body. She shifted her newest charge around, her eyes widening when a soft cry left the small child, followed by more sobs and whimpers as she blinked up at Kasumi. The retired midwife caught a brief glimpse of green before the infant's eyes squinted closed.

"How precious..." The elderly woman smiled tenderly as she slowly rocked the tiny girl, muttering hushed words. "Even your little cries are so quiet..."

Interestingly enough, the girl calmed down relatively quickly, causing Kasumi to cock an eyebrow but smile. The little girl was just so..._quiet_—there were just no other words to describe her. It was something she wasn't used to with all the other mischievous and rambunctious children that she cared for. She smiled softly, toying with a wisp of crimson hair on her head as she thought of something to call the new life.

Names, names...

Names...

"Quiet..." Kasumi murmured as she rocked the child a bit more before slowly getting to her feet. "I think...I'll call you _Shizuka_..."

The tiny girl shifted slightly in her arms.

**~{I}~**

_Am I dreaming or...?_

It felt like I was dreaming but, at the same time, I knew that I wasn't.

Through some twist of fate, I was _reborn_ as a _baby_.

To be honest, I didn't really know how to feel about it.

I was stuck between feeling elated at being given another chance to live or feeling sorrowful because I wasn't with _my_ family any longer. After a long, _long_ while, I settled for feeling neutral because I had been reborn as a baby and _who exactly wanted to be a baby again? _

It wasn't exactly the greatest but it wasn't the worst, either. My only pastimes were crying when I felt like I was hungry, crying when I'd soiled myself, staring up at the ceiling, sleeping, being cooed over by some elderly woman or a girl with blue hair and orange eyes or suffering from insomnia due to the other babies in the vicinity crying. It didn't take me long to realize that I was an orphan. It was either that or someone had _a lot_ of babies. And it didn't take me long to conclude that the two woman were the orphanage matrons.

The elderly woman fit the image: wrinkled but kind countenance with her greyed hair pulled into a bun and her soft eyes always crinkled at the corners. She often smiled down at me as she fed me or when she talked to me when waking me up or putting me down for sleep. I liked her a lot. She was warm—_motherly_, even.

The girl, on the other hand, _perplexed _me a little bit. It was plainly obvious that she was kind of jittery and high-strung. She had a very _nervous_ disposition which made me very, _very_ wary when she'd hold me in her arms. Taking that into account, I wouldn't have pegged her to be the kind to dye her hair or wear oddly-colored contacts...but that could be just me. I wasn't like I was an expert when it came to personalities and mannerisms.

But still... There was something _weird_ about it. Not just her hair but also her combination of clothing. It was reminiscent of an Asian culture back in my other life—maybe, Japanese? It looked like a kimono or something. Completely disregarding the blue-haired girl's personality, the color of her hair and eyes and her clothes didn't quite _fit_ to me. Like, seeing such traditional clothing and then the blue hair and the orange eyes had a sort of dissonance to me.

Maybe...I'm just over thinking it? I mean, it's not like someone having blue hair and orange eyes overshadows the fact that _I'd been reborn with all my memories and awareness intact_. Like, what was more shocking and impossible than that?

Or, would it be_ improbable _because I'd managed to slip between the cosmic workings of the universe, meaning that the chances of it were slim but not impossible?

...

Yeah, I was just over thinking things.

**~{I}~**

"A-ah!" She winced as she dislodged the small hands tangled in her hair. "Please stop that, Shizuka!"

The girl blinked languidly up at her, staring _directly_ into her own eyes and unnerving the teen something fierce. Nanami averted her gaze with a nervous chuckle as she placed the small child back into her crib, where her tiny hands immediately went to grasp the bars. She pulled at them slightly, almost _thoughtfully_, as if testing the resilience and strength of them. Nanami smiled (it felt more like a grimace) as she picked up a stuffed toy discarded by one of the other children and put it between Shizuka's body and the bars. The crimson-haired girl stopped pulling at the bars for a short moment, refusing to relinquish her hold on them but willing to let her gaze trace over the stuffed panda.

"Why don't you play with this, Shizuka?" Nanami nuzzled the toy against Shizuka's pudgy cheeks, watching warily as the girl's eyebrows furrowed and her lips pursed. "He really likes you and he _really_ wants you to play with him."

_I really want you to play with him so you can stop trying to escape your crib._

Almost as if she'd heard her thoughts, Shizuka's head tipped back and her murky eyes peered up at Nanami unblinkingly. They stared at each other in silence before a high-pitched, bleating laugh began to emerge from Nanami's mouth. Without a second thought, she dropped the toy into the crib, pivoted on her heel and began to pick up the discarded articles of clothing on the ground, pointedly ignoring the baby that had gone back to pulling at the bars.

It wasn't a secret that Nanami was a fidgety, nervous wreck who often jumped at the sight of her own shadow. It wasn't without reason, of course, given the things that she'd witnessed within the short seventeen years of her life. _Plenty_ of the things she'd seen were enough to shave off years.

Like when she was seven, she'd witnessed a dead body wash up on shore. She was the only one who was shocked and scared out of her mind—the other kids merely poked, prodded and laughed at the poor dead carcass until it was swallowed back into the ocean waves. Nanami went to Granny Kasumi in tears but the old women just shook her head solemnly and explained to her the cycle of life: things were born, they lived and then they died.

That was it. No comforting words. No warm hugs. No scolding the other children for poking a possibly diseased dead body.

No..._nothing_.

Just...things were born, they live and they die.

_Comforting._

Then, when she was around thirteen, she had been scuttling around in the shrubs surrounding the orphanage looking for some herbs for Granny Kasumi's garden, only to practically be _murdered_ by a visiting shinobi. She could still feel the lingering 'whoosh' of his kunai flying by her head and she could still remember the sharp-toothed, unapologetic grin that he gave her. Not only that but she'd made an absolute fool of herself by..._peeing her pants_. It didn't help that the same man came by consistently every year to weed out the ninja hopefuls, in which he'd flash that same grin at her. Every time she saw him, he made her want to curl up and _die_ in embarrassment and shame.

So, yes, Nanami had seen and been through _plenty_ of things before she'd even turned twenty.

Now, she had the unfortunate pleasure of dealing with a baby that was much _too smart_ for her own good.

It was as if Nanami was the only person in the world who noticed how _odd_ Shizuka was.

Ever since the child was born, she hardly ever smiled. She hardly ever cried unless she needed to be fed or changed. She only ever stared up at the ceiling and don't get Nanami started on how it was a very _bad_ idea to stare directly into her gloomy green eyes. There wasn't the blank innocence of a normal baby. _No_. No, there was an _intelligence_ that was hidden behind that stare. An uncanny wit that shouldn't have been present at all given her age.

To be perfectly honest, Nanami was _frightened_ of Shizuka and it had only gotten worse once the girl was able to sit up by herself without any help and crawl around. Her favorite hobby was no longer staring blankly up at the ceiling; it was pulling at her crib's bars and plotting a way to escape and scaring away those who would try to keep her safe by putting her back into its confines—namely, Nanami because, for _some _reason, Granny Kasumi was never present to witness the girl's attempts of escape and, whenever Nanami tried to warn her about them, she'd merely wave a dismissive hand and shoo her away.

Nanami couldn't even count how many times she'd caught the girl teetering precariously over her crib bars, somehow having hauled herself onto them. The blue-haired teen had practically torn her hair out running to the girl's side, plucking her up and placing her back into the wooden bed, only to be rewarded with an eerie stare and a few sharp tugs to her hair.

It was the story of her life, really.

A light creaking had her turning her head towards _that_ crib and she blew out a sigh as she watched with tired eyes as Shizuka _once again_ teetered precariously on the crib bar, this time with a look of steady concentration marring her face as she tried to leave her bed. For some reason, Nanami was compelled to just _watch _the girl, just to see if she were actually intelligent and dexterous enough to get herself safely from the crib.

_What are you doing, Nanami?_ She berated herself. _You can't let her get hurt._

The blue-haired teen approached the climbing girl, only to stop when her head snapped up and her piercing gaze froze her in her tracks. Nanami gulped heavily but acquiesced, instead hovering closely to catch Shizuka if she fell. Her green eyes squinted (read: narrowed_)_ in what was probably suspicion before she continued her grand goal as if Nanami wasn't there any longer.

"Why do you do this constantly, Shizuka?" She asked rhetorically as she shifted her orange eyes away for a brief moment. "Aren't you afraid of hurting yourself...?"

Her response was Shizuka swinging her other leg over the bars, letting herself dangle for a couple seconds before dropping onto the ground—bottom first—with a small grunt. There were no tears or cries of pain. Her head tilted up towards Nanami, her eyes blinking innocently at her before she proceeded to crawl towards the door, exiting the room without another look.

Nanami was pretty much speechless.

Then, she wondered _why_ she was speechless because things like that were expected in her life—Nanami didn't get to have a normal life.

She let her head drop as she proceeded to follow the little girl out into the halls, where she spotted her slowly entering into one of the bathrooms. A few more steps had Nanami standing in the doorway, watching as Shizuka pointed a finger towards the small potty as she looked at Nanami with her trademarked eerie stare.

_She was trying to escape her crib to be potty trained?_ Nanami rubbed her hands down her face, torn between being skeptical as to how no one was present to witness Shizuka in action and feeling the mounting fear towards the girl who was too young to be doing the things she was doing. _How does she even know what a potty is? Better yet, why didn't she just do it when she was out of her crib with the other kids?_

_...Why do things like this keep happening to me?_

It honestly felt as if Nanami was the only person in the world who was normal or, at the very least, frightened of the things that everyone else deemed normal. Babies weren't supposed to constantly endanger themselves by climbing out of their cribs to get potty trained and people weren't supposed to grin at the fact that they'd almost killed another and children weren't supposed to poke at dead bodies for some jolly good fun!

None of those occurrences and situations were right and none of them would _ever_ be right to her.

...

Why did it seem as if Nanami was the only person in the world genuinely _afraid_ of death and the things that could provoke it?

**~{I}~**

Nanami—the blue-haired, orange-eyed girl—wasn't the only one.

I had learned that once I was old enough to sit up and move around on my own. I hadn't meant to dwell on it but, once I was able to pull up and look at the room I was in, the inquiries came back full-force. That girl wasn't the only one with odd colorings—she was far from it, actually. There were normal colorings present—what I was used to, at least—but the other combinations of colors _vastly_ outnumbered them.

Even _I_ had weird hair and eye colors. The old woman—I think her name was Kasumi—had randomly placed me in front of a mirror, most likely to help me associate my name with my appearance. I don't know what I expected to see but I really wasn't prepared to see a chubby-faced little girl with mossy green eyes and hair that was this bright, fiery red color. It made me look like a tomato or an apple or some other round, red fruit that was befitting enough to describe me.

To be honest, I looked like I could be straight from an _anime_.

That made me want to laugh. I mean, I know I'd been reincarnated but _that_ was surely impossible! Being reborn into an anime? Ha! Yeah, right.

As if _that_ could ever happen!

Anyway, back to the normal happenings, I'd finally managed to get out of my crib without Nanami interfering. It took many, _many_ creepy stares to make her adhere to my demands but, in the end, I was able to leave my crib in order to get her to potty train me (even though, I actually didn't need her to teach me—gotta keep up appearances to _some_ extent, though). _Yes_, that was my goal once I was able to sit up and crawl—to get potty-trained.

It took her long enough. I was tired of having to waste energy crying to be changed when I could just leave my crib to use the bathroom.

Once you've experienced the shame of soiling yourself _constantly _and having someone to change you _constantly_, you'll realize that my goal was a very important one. Granted, the fact that I had to drop from the height of my crib to the ground was excessive but it got the point across and, in this case, the means justified the end. I wasn't above doing drastic things to get my point across. Well, I wasn't above doing drastic things to get my point across to _Nanami_. Doing the things that I did around others, especially the old woman, probably wouldn't be the best of decisions.

...

Besides, Nanami's reactions were the best and provided the most entertainment for me.

It was a little sadistic but, after being in a crib for such a long period of time, _anything_ other than being stuck in that wooden prison was enjoyable to me.

It was kind of like a children's story, the one about the boy and the wolf, except this was about the blue-haired girl who cried weird baby. It was pretty funny seeing Nanami going off the tell Kasumi about the outlandish things I was doing, only for her to be rebuffed continuously. Eventually, she learned her lesson and stopped going to the old woman, leaving her to deal with me by her lonesome.

...

Was it bad that I actually cracked a smile at her dejected look?

**~{I}~**

It was confirmed: I was in some feudal era in Japan as evidenced by the clothes, architecture and the language that everyone spoke and what Kasumi began teaching snippets of to us children who were willing to sit still for more than five seconds.

As a native English-speaker for over a decade or two, attempting to learn another language so abruptly was not something my brain and mouth were willing to put up with. However, memorization, recognizing characters and understanding what others were saying weren't my problems—it was when attempting to communicate with others that difficulties began to surface for me.

I'd been alive for about eight or nine months now. I could use the potty for myself and I was well on my way to walking but, as soon as someone tried to socialize with me, I couldn't speak anything more than short, one-worded sentences. Sure, that may have been great for _normal _babies but it's long since been established that I'm not a _normal_ baby. I had a matured mind, meaning it should've been easy for me to pick up a new language that I had knowledge of. Minute, possibly inaccurate knowledge picked up from years of gaming, looking on Wikipedia and anime but knowledge all the same.

It also didn't help that I was in the middle of teething.

Damn gums were hurting like all hell. It felt like knives were trying to pierce through them and it plummeted my mood from _crabby _to absolutely _foul_. Not only that but, if I recalled my previous life correctly, my baby cousins got their first budding, pearly whites when they were around three months. I've had my pink gums since I was born into this world.

When was I going to get _my_ baby teeth!?

Needless to say, I was not a happy camper. So, it shouldn't be a surprise that whenever someone talked to me (or even looked at me sometimes), I responded with a seething glare. Also, a hair yank if I were feeling extremely pissy.

Kasumi—or _Granny_ Kasumi, as she preferred to be called—was a saint. She_ had _to be if she'd been dealing with children like me for a majority of her life. No matter how much I took my petty frustrations out on her (though it was difficult because her hair was in a bun), she always responded with a gentle smile and a loving pat to the head or, less frequently, a malicious glare—_much_ worse than mine—if someone overstepped their boundaries. Usually, that was an older kid for back talking, a younger kid for misbehaving or Nanami for letting her paranoia get the best of her.

Really, she was a lot like my other grandmother: warm and sweet with an underlying layer of sternness. Her eyes seemed to sparkle with hidden secrets and knowledge and her lips would always twitch with some untold joke.

...Like, she probably knew I was smarter than I let on or about how I constantly tortured Nanami when I thought no one was around or how I practiced speaking when I thought I was the only person awake in the dead of night. Granny Kasumi was nice like that—willing to entertain a tiny child's matured whims without so much as a bat of an eyelash.

I wondered why, though. Had it been back in my other life, she probably would've tried showing me off to everyone. Intelligent babies were something of an upcoming new fad back where I was from. Here, it was almost like...she was _used_ to it or she _expected_ it or something. Did she often get reincarnated babies? Or maybe it was something else?

I guess it could be the times that we live in, though... I actually have no clear idea when exactly that is.

**~{I}~**

In November, I had my first birthday.

It wasn't a grand affair. The day played out as they always did: kids running around constantly, Nanami jittery as all hell, me pulling on someone's hair in annoyance, Granny Kasumi smiling kindly—just the normal routine. During dinner time, there was a bit more food for everyone and I was gifted a small dessert roll filled with some red paste. _Anpan_, I think Granny Kasumi called it. It was good but I was never a fan of sweets.

In November, I mastered the art of walking without the guidance of objects or people. My world was slowly expanding!

In November, I finally got my first tooth.

In November, I also figured out how much of a _freak _I was.

You see, it started with me playing in the mirror on my lonesome. I was just entertaining myself, making faces and practicing some of the words that I knew before I saw a glimpse of white in my mouth. Curious and excited, I cracked open my maw, expecting to see a cute little rectangular-shaped peg and, instead, I'm treated with a sharp, canine-like _thing_ gleaming from the bottom-front of my gums.

Like, _where the hell does that happen_!? Why did I have a _sharp tooth where it didn't belong_!? _Why was this happening to me_!?

So, in November and for the first time in months, I actually wailed in despair and _anger_.

I cried _so_ loudly that some of the older kids peeked their heads into the room I was occupying to point and whisper about me and presumably _laugh _about the demon tooth that I had been cursed with. Moments later, Nanami was the one to fetch me and, this time, she was smart enough to hold my outraged form away from her hair so that I wouldn't be able to dig my fingers into it and pull, which only served to piss me off even further.

"Nanami, what's wrong with Shizuka?" I could hear Granny Kasumi's voice and I relished in her familiar warmth as Nanami quickly deposited me into the old woman's arms. "Did one of the other children bother her?"

"N-no, Granny Kasumi. You know that t-the other kids don't lik—" She stopped abruptly but we all knew what she was going to say.

_You know that the other kids don't like Shizuka very much._

Well, it wasn't as if I was the sweetest one year old around. I mean, I pulled their hair if they too close to me or if I were in a pissy mood and I sat in corners staring at them like some little monster so it made sense that they didn't like me. The feeling was mutual for numerous reasons.

First off, I'd never been too fond of children in the first place, especially ones who ran around constantly and generally just got into trouble. Give me a well-behaved, quiet kid and I could work with you but, other than that, I had to suppress the urge to strangle the pint-sized brats.

Second... I just wasn't fond of children. Period.

...But...

I guess, it was pretty sad that _no one_ expect Granny Kasumi really liked me. My birth parents were either dead, didn't want me or couldn't afford to care for me. Nanami was scared of me. The other kids stayed away from me...

It was just...Granny Kasumi. She was the only one who smiled at me so tenderly and brushed my hair so gently and hugged me so tightly. She was the only one who stared at me with such _kindess_ despite the abnormalities and general creepiness that I displayed. She was the only one I felt really _loved_ me unconditionally.

"Don't spout such utter nonsense around her!" Granny Kasumi hissed out as she pressed my head into her shoulder, as if trying to shield me from Nanami's words. "The poor thing will begin to believe it!"

_But... I already believe it..._

"S-sorry, Granny K-Kasumi!" Nanami stuttered out. "Tsunao s-said he saw h-her playing in front of one o-of the m-mirrors. He said s-she looked into h-her m-mouth and s-started crying all of a s-sudden!"

Granny Kasumi hummed lowly before one of her arms loosened from around me and I allowed myself to uncurl from her shoulder to meekly look into her eyes. I sniffled woefully as her lips pulled into a disarming smile, earning her a timid, slightly quivering one from me.

"Would you let Granny Kasumi see what's wrong, Shizu-chan?" She asked.

My lips pursed together before I hesitantly opened my mouth and pointed a finger to _it_. Surely, Granny Kasumi would be mortified by the grotesque fang but she would put on an understanding facade for my sake before whisking me off to the dentist (or the feudal era equivalent) in order to right this very terrible wrong. Surprisingly, though, she just blinked and her eyebrows knitted as she held my chin to better see. After a pregnant pause spanning a few seconds, she pinched my cheek playfully.

"You're not happy about getting your first tooth?" She questioned and then it was my turn to furrow my brows.

Did she _not_ see the thing that sprouted from my gums? Did Granny Kasumi _really_ love me that much? Or was Granny Kasumi going blind? I mean, she _was_ getting to be that age...

"Ugly." I stated, hoping she would get the jist of what I was saying. I pointed to the tooth, just to make sure she understood. "Weird."

"No, it isn't, Shizu-chan!" She admonished as she waved Nanami away from the doorway of the room we were in. "It looks perfectly normal to me! Why, I think it makes you even cuter!"

And that's when I knew Granny Kasumi was going senile.

I gaped at her in both awe and confusion as she seated me on the floor, wondering if Granny Kasumi was finally succumbing to the perils of old age or if the place that I'd been born into was used to seeing people with mouths full of flesh rippers. Now, you probably think that I'm overreacting about this one baby tooth that will eventually fall out of my mouth as I grow older but I was a bit of a vain individual in that other life of mine, meaning that I judged _a lot_ of things based on aesthetics. Even something as temporary as a baby tooth would constantly bother me unless I saw someone else sporting the same—and I'd _still_ probably feel self-conscious about showing too much teeth.

"Mm, Shizu-chan, why don't you help Gōzu-chan keep track of how many potatoes I have left to peel?" She smiled down at me as she settled back into her prior position before Nanami and I interrupted her. "We're having potato stew over rice for dinner. Doesn't that sound yummy?"

It sounded odd considering my presumed whereabouts (_was_ there a Japanese equivalent to potato stew over rice?) but the combination was actually pretty tasty together. Granny Kasumi had her own garden filled with different vegetables but, because potatoes grew the fastest among them, we had them the most. I was probably just a grandma's girl but I ended up eating whatever Granny Kasumi made with genuine happiness and content. Not exactly because I liked it—I mean, I did—but more because it reminded me of home.

I tried not to think about it too much but I missed _my_ home and _my_ family and _my_ belongings. I missed the _old me_. I missed everything from that life that I didn't have anymore. I wanted it back so badly but I knew that I'd probably never have it again. Not without dying again and _that_ wasn't something I was looking forward to again...

Stupid tooth. It was because of that thing that I was starting to cry again. _Stupid_ tooth for making me think of the things that I didn't have and how no one loved or like me except Granny Kasumi and how the _stupid_ thing made me look like a freak and—

"Don' cry."

"Huh?"

"Don' cry. Not good to cry."

"Huh...?" Who was even talking to me?

I turned my head slightly, seeing large brown eyes peering at my face curiously. I sniffled again as I rubbed at my face with my too-long shirt sleeves, my lips pulling down into a frown as I took in the boy's appearance. Brown hair, brown eyes, chubby face—he looked plain in comparison to the other kids in the place but it was his _voice_ that differed; he spoke in a subdued tone that seemed unfitting for a little boy like him. The fact that he wasn't a noisy brat gave me enough of a reason not to blow him off, though.

Plus... I think he was trying to make me feel better.

"Not cry 'nymore. Okay?" He beamed at me. "Make face messy."

How _old _was this kid? Like, maybe, one or two years old? And his comprehension and sentence structure was _better _than mine? What a blow to my perpetually crumbling pride. But... The way he smiled so brightly at me like that...

"Gōzu-chan, don't you think Shizu-chan looks cute with her new tooth?" The old woman laughed and my eyebrow twitched in irritation at her goading.

He smiled that same innocent smile as he blurted out, "Shizu-chan look cute, Granny Kasumi!" He patted my head, making a my cheeks heat up in embarrassment. "Cute Shizu-chan!"

In November, I blushed in embarrassment for the first time. Not exactly a pleasant experience but it wasn't bad being surrounded by Granny Kasumi's fond chuckles and Gōzu's quiet giggles. It made me feel all tingly and fluffy, for a lack of better words. Granny Kasumi didn't think any differently about me regardless of my monster tooth but this Gōzu kid may have just been agreeing with the old woman just because he didn't want to get in trouble. He _looked_ smart enough to realize there were certain things he should and shouldn't say.

I guess that was why I couldn't work up the nerve to be angry at him—because he seemed as if he were actually _smart_ and that was reason enough to try and stick close to the kid. Plus, his name reminded me of a game that I played a few times. Something involving summoning devils or demons from little tubes or...something. Gōzu was the name of Japanese demon, I think.

Eh.

(And I would swear up and down that it _wasn't_ because I wanted companionship other than Granny Kasumi.)

So, in November, I made what I tentatively call my first friend in the form of Gōzu.

...

November...

Despite all that has happened, I may consider it my favorite month.

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**.**

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**A/N:** Granny Kasumi's mentions of Hōzuki complications during birth and the Second Mizukage's niece is a shout out to the awesome _Naruto_ fic, _Visibility Zero_ by **the Marysue Murderess**. Shizuka's personality is very much similar to the main character's, though the reasons for their actions are completely different. Said character doesn't actually show up as I haven't asked for permission to use the character and, while this story will eventually diverge from canon, her's does not. But go give the story a read as it is GLORIOUS.

**Edited: 27/03/2015 - Went back and changed the format a little. Erased the long author's note in favor of a shorter one. Added a few pieces of dialogue.**


	2. DROP II - Hazing Reveals the Truth

**Disclaimer: _Naruto_ © Masashi Kishimoto. The only things I own are my OCs and I gain nothing from writing this story besides the pleasure.**

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**. Scarlet Waters - Chapter Two - Hazing Reveals the Truth.**

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"C'mon, Shizu-chan. Stop lookin' at your teeth." Gōzu said from behind me and I could feel his slightly bigger hand enveloping mine, trying to pull me away. "Nanami's gonna be back soon so we have to hurry and get some more stuff to read."

"Can't stop lookin'." I said, somewhat distracted by the rows of teeth that fit together perfectly like puzzle pieces, disturbingly enough. "Creepy but inter— interes— intre— _Ugh_." I huffed slightly at my inability to pronounce the right word. "Fun lookin' at 'em."

"Interesting?" Gōzu supplied for me and I nodded in affirmation. "I like 'em too but we gotta hurry before Nanami gets back, 'kay?"

I pulled back reluctantly, looking over my shoulder at the smiling brown-haired boy who had begun dragging me away from the reflective surface. I still didn't like the fact that I was the only person in the whole orphanage to have these sharp fangs but, after a couple years of having them, I just got used to them. Nowadays, I find them oddly _interesting_ in the way that they fit together like a jigsaw without hurting my gums in any way. Still wish I had normal teeth and, in the future, I'm probably going to track down the equivalent to a dentist but, for now, I'll deal with the shark teeth.

"Think she got anything new?" Gōzu inquired as we padded down the hall and into the last door on the left.

I shook my head despite the fact he couldn't see the gesture. "No. Nanami not been gone for a long time these days."

He nodded absently, dragging me over to the chest sitting next to Nanami's bed. He let go of my hand to open the trunk's lid and dig through its contents, leaving me to stare at the books and scrolls he threw out at my feet. He pulled back a few minutes later, after he'd basically emptied all of Nanami's things onto the floor, and plopped down to begin sifting through for something entertaining to read. I followed shortly and picked up the closest scroll near me.

At three years old, my grammar still wasn't the best but it was better than when I was younger. Many days were spent cooped up inside going through the few books that Granny Kasumi had to better refine my speech. Eventually, those children's books weren't enough and, after invading everyone's privacy for reading materials along with Gōzu, we stumbled upon Nanami's trunk of books and scrolls. After that, it was like a whole new universe revealed itself. They varied from short stories and epic poems to subjects like math and other crap that I didn't care too much about seeing as I spent a majority of my first life learning it.

Out of all the stories that I read, my favorite story had to be the one about an ancient ninja who confused his enemies with illusions and then defeated them whilst shrouded in fog. Saizō Kirigakure was his name or, actually, _Kirigakure __Saizō_. Surname first and all that jazz.

It was better than going outside to play with the others. They always played the same game: this game called ninja which was basically just cops 'n robbers but they used rocks as shuriken and held sticks like they were swords. I entertained the thought of swallowing my dislike of kids and playing—I really did—but, once they started throwing sand and shouting nonsense about mist techniques, I turned right around and strolled back inside.

Who actually throws sand as a substitute for fog when there's already fog hanging in the air to begin with? And it's not like the fog comes and goes—there is _always_ fog outside, just the thickness of it varies from day-to-day. Said fog was another reason why I stayed inside instead of going out. Every time I lingered out there for more than five minutes, I'd always have to come back in for a bath to wash off the haze that clogged up my pores.

_Ugh._ What kind of place did I live in that _constantly _had fog? Were we in the mountains or something? I couldn't tell.

The farthest I'd been from the orphanage was into Granny Kasumi's garden—which was fenced off—and down to the beach with Nanami and some other kids for a change of scenery. As previously stated, I thought about playing but, as soon as sand and rocks were thrown, I promptly returned to the orphanage to help Granny Kasumi with dinner and I secretly laughed when Nanami got in trouble for not keeping up with me.

"Whatcha find, Shizu-chan?" Gōzu asked, not even bothering to look up from his book.

"Say word out loud." I pointed to the word on the scroll in my hands. I knew what it was but saying it aloud was a different story. One day, I_ would _ be able to speak like a civilized person! Just not today, I suppose...

Gōzu looked up from his pile of findings, his eyebrows furrowing as he looked over the word. "Map, I think."

_Ooohhhh!_ How the _hell_ did I miss this little gem of knowledge!? I finally hit the jackpot! Now, I could make heads or tails about where I'd been reborn! I unraveled the slightly worn scroll, spreading it out in front of me and smoothing out the creases for a better look. My eyes narrowed as I stared at the large continent and the faded colors, symbols and kanji that marked it.

"The...Elem— Elemen— _Elemental_ Nations." I paused for a few seconds, burning the pronunciation into my mind before continuing my examination. "The _Elemental_ Nations...?"

Why did that sound familiar to me...?

"Where we live?" I asked, hoping that Gōzu would know that nugget of information.

He looked over, staring hard for a few seconds before tapping the island in the bottom corner. "We live in the Land of Water. Don't know _where_ in the Land of Water, though. I think near Kiri but not close to it."

"Land...of Water...?" I breathed out, a memory surfacing in my mind. "Kiri...?"

..._Kirigakure...is in the Land of Water... A constant fog shrouds the village..._

"Like Saizō..." I muttered under my breath. "Kirigakure Saizō..."

But it wasn't from the story... Kiri wasn't referring to the person. It was a place... A village...

Where had I heard that from? Was it Granny Kasumi? Or was it Nanami? Maybe...but... I think it was from before all of this. It was from in that other life but..._what was it_? Memories from before had most definitely faded but they weren't gone. I just needed a little reminder or a refresher. I rolled up the map and placed it beside me to study at a later time. Hopefully, Nanami wouldn't miss it.

"Gōzu!" A voice said from out in the hall and I smacked my forehead when I realized who it was.

"Meizu." I stated simply as Gōzu closed his book with a small sigh.

Did I neglect to mention that Gōzu had a twin brother? Yeah, Gōzu was the older one while Meizu was the younger. Their faces looked the same but other than that it was pretty easy to tell them apart if you were going solely by looks. Like how Gōzu's hair was straight and neat while Meizu's was a thick, messy mane or how Gōzu's voice was light and soft while Meizu's was loud and relatively _deep_ for a four year old. In terms of personality, they were also complete opposites.

Like how Gōzu was a little sweetie pie while Meizu was an annoying, little turd.

"Found ya!" He burst into the room with a smile that soured once he laid eyes on me. "_Ewww_! Why ya always in here wit' tha icky girl?"

My eyes narrowed and my lips pursed as Gōzu placed a placating hand on my head. "Her name is Shizu-chan, Meizu."

"Shizuka. Not Shizu-chan." I asserted in a flat tone of voice. I wasn't Shizu-chan. Not to Meizu, anyways. Only Granny Kasumi and Gōzu were allowed to call me that.

The younger twin rolled his eyes and waved both his brother's and my words away. "_I don' care._" He perked up immediately. "Tha ninja man is here for a visit, Gōzu! We gotta go see 'fore Granny Kasumi finds us missin'!"

"_What_?" I asked somewhat skeptically as my brain tried to grasp Meizu's words.

Not exactly about the existence of ninja, per say, but because ninja were supposed to be shadow people that normal folks weren't supposed to be able to spot. _Ever_. Because ninja were supposed to be masters of assassinations and stealth. Either someone was pulling the wool over Meizu's eyes, this ninja was _letting_ kids see him (which I doubted) or...the person Meizu was talking about was just a pretty _shitty_ ninja.

He shot me a nasty look. "I _said_ tha ninja man is here! I think he's talkin' to tha bigger kids 'cause Granny Kasumi won't let tha little-er kids go outside!"

"_Really_?" Gōzu asked suspiciously. "How did _you_ see him if Granny Kasumi won't let the _smaller_ kids go outside?"

Asking a viable question _and_ correcting grammar at the same time? I knew there was a reason I stuck around this kid.

"I ain't dumb, 'kay? I got away from Granny while she was gettin' the other kids and I came lookin' for ya 'cause I knew you wouldn't be there with Granny but with _her_!" He gave me the stink eye while I rolled mine in response. "You guys 're always stealin' books an' stuffs from Nanami's room so I knew you was in here and, on my way over, I looked outta Tsunao's window and saw this guy with a _huge sword_ on his back throwin' kunai an' stuffs!"

I wanted to disagree about him not being dumb but his line of thought was actually pretty sound. If Gōzu wasn't with him, he was with Granny Kasumi. If Gōzu wasn't with Granny Kasumi, he was most likely with me. If we were together, we were most likely going through Nanami's stuff. Tsunao—one of the older kids—usually had his curtains open for everyone to see in and out his room so Meizu most likely wasn't lying about that.

Meizu wasn't as articulate as his brother but he was right when he said he wasn't stupid. It was because of that that I found myself reluctantly believing Meizu's words about seeing a "ninja man." I mean, if people could have orange eyes and blue hair or have shark teeth naturally, then there wasn't much reason for me to be a non-believer.

I mean,_ I'd been reborn_. As much as I hate bringing it up constantly, it was an act that reinforced just about _all_ suspensions of disbelief I could possibly have about _anything_.

_But_...

"Prove it." I said simply because I knew Meizu couldn't back down from a challenge and because I wanted to see the guy in person. "Show me ninja man. No proof means you lying."

Gōzu made a small noise of protest but I ignored him to instead stare Meizu down. It was hard fighting down the smirk as I watched the younger twin fidgeting, not in fear of my stare like the others, but in anger and in the need to prove me wrong. Probably to prove to Gōzu that he was a better companion than me—it must've been a sibling thing. Was Meizu jealous of me hanging around his brother constantly or did he just not like me?

Most likely, it was the latter.

"_Fine_!" He blurted out, his tiny fists clenched tightly at his side. "I'll show you tha ninja man then you'll see!"

I let my lips twitch slightly. "Lead away."

Meizu gave me one last lingering glare before tiptoeing from Nanami's room into the hallway. Gōzu made a face as he followed after his brother and I scooped up my newly-acquired map as I gave the mess we'd left on Nanami's floor a look. Too bad for her because I wasn't about to clean it up. Maybe if we got back with some time to spare, we'd put everything back where it belonged.

_Maybe_.

It didn't take long for me to catch up with the two brothers. Meizu was peeking around the corner of the hall, looking into main room where I could hear Granny Kasumi's voice mingled with other, higher-pitched voices. I tapped Gōzu on the shoulder, giving him a questioning look when he turned around. He just shrugged and pointed towards the kitchen, which was on the opposite side of the main room. From that alone, I could tell that Granny Kasumi must've been turned in such a way so that she could see anyone entering or exiting the kitchen and hallway, meaning we couldn't go that way without being caught.

I rolled my eyes as I turned on my heel, slightly pissed because Meizu hadn't taken into account the obvious obstacle that obstructed our path. Before I could turn completely and ditch the two boys, I had an idea.

"Just open Tsunao's window." I stated and I snorted at Meizu's confused look when he turned towards me. "You see ninja man from Tsunao's window, yes?" At his hesitant nod, I pointed towards the aforementioned person's room. "We open Tsunao's window. Ninja man maybe still near there."

Meizu's face scrunched in what was probably anger or irritation. "That's a stup—"

"It's a good idea, Shizu-chan." Gōzu interrupted, quickly grabbing Meizu and leading him back to Tsunao's room, presumably to keep him from giving us all away and to keep _me_ from getting pissed off. I trailed after them at a slower, calmer pace and shut the door quietly behind me as I entered our destination.

Tsunao shared a room with another boy named Tatsuya that I didn't really know all that well, only that he was the next oldest after Nanami, putting him at about sixteen or seventeen after Nanami's twenty. I guess, in a couple years, he'd be old enough to go out into the world on his own.

It was weird. I never really thought about it until now but what was there after growing up in this world? The same occupations and opportunities that were present in my old world weren't even in existence here. I was a college student before, majoring in a subject that no longer held any significance in this feudal era. What was there to do? Become a farmer or some rich lord's young, unwilling bride? Those seemed to be the stereotypical occupations of ancient Japan. That or become a warlord, according to some of the games I used to play.

Maybe I'd become a scholar, traveling the world and imparting my otherworldly knowledge to a following of faithful disciples?

"Hey, you! Get over here an' help us get this window open!" Meizu hissed at me as he and Gōzu strained to push open the window. "You came up with tha plan so you gotta help us with it!"

Oh. I forgot about that for a minute.

"'m comin'..." I muttered as I padded over, swiftly looking around the room for an object to boost me up but to no avail. I puffed out a sigh as I took hold of the window's edge and pushed up to the best of my ability.

At one point, I had to stand on the very tips of my toes and, _still_, we only got the window only a third of the way open. My lips pursed as we all took a step back to examine our work. It wasn't _that _bad; it would just be a tight fit for us all to squeeze through it.

"I'll go first." Gōzu volunteered with a tiny smile. "I'm the oldest so I'll make sure it's safe."

"You sure?" I asked as I clutched the edges of my sleeves. "I go first for you?"

"That's _dumb_! Why would _you_ go first when you tha littlest one of us? You prob'ly just get hurt, stupid!" Meizu groused as he crossed his arms but I could hear the daring in his tone.

He thought I wouldn't do it? I could totally scale the wall outside! It wasn't even that high of a drop! Get hurt? _Please_! I could take pain like a pro!

It was with those thoughts that I pushed the protesting Gōzu out of my way, hoisted myself up and began to squeeze through the opening of the window. Already I could feel the disgusting fog clinging to my skin and I choked and hacked a bit as the breath I'd taken managed to somehow suck in some of the haze that was slowly soaking into my pores.

What was this? I know there were days that it was hard to see through the haze that descended but _this_... It wasn't natural. It couldn't be. Not with the way that it was dense enough to be _solid_! Something wasn't right about this mist...but something kept me from retreating back into the room. I guess I was too stubborn to go back—I was prideful like that, prideful enough to possibly get myself hurt or _worse_.

_Pride comes before a fall_, as they used to say in my old world.

I coughed a bit more, squinting my eyes and scowling furiously as I struggled to pull myself through the window, achieving my goal an inch at a time. After a few more seconds of pulling, I fell to the ground with a tiny cry, landing on my side as I twisted my body so as to not land on my neck. Turning back towards the window, I smirked smugly at the furious look on Meizu's face and nodded slightly to show Gōzu that I was uninjured.

I watched with amusement as Meizu pushed his brother out of the way and forced himself through, much like I had. Fearing that he was too much of an idiot to try and protect his head, I helped out by cushioning his blow the best way that I could i.e. by becoming a human pillow because there was nothing else.

Not because I cared about Meizu but because I didn't want Gōzu to be sad.

He glared at me when he picked himself up off of me and I think I might've heard him grumble out a thanks but I was probably just hearing things. Gōzu was the last one to leave the room and Meizu and I united together to catch the older boy before he could hurt himself. Once we were all situated, we allowed ourselves to examine our surroundings.

"Why tha fog so thick?" Meizu asked as his head whipped around rapidly, probably trying to make something out in the white mist. "It wasn't like this earlier when I saw 'im... "

I stayed silent, merely covering the lower half of my face with my sleeves and hovering close to the brothers' sides. This fog was unsettling with the way the clung so thickly, almost like it was suffocating, and the way that it felt as if...something was watching our every little move from within its depths.

But what was I afraid of? The Bogeyman didn't exist.

"I don't like this..." I heard Gōzu breath out. "I think we should go back..." The soft-spoken boy turned on his heel but abruptly stopped in his tracks. "_W-what...!?_"

"Gōzu, wha—" Meizu cuts himself off and his brown eyes practically took over his whole face in surprise.

What was wrong? Slightly alarmed, I craned my neck but nothing was there. And that was the problem. _Nothing_ was behind us despite the fact that we hadn't moved from in front of Tsunao's window.

"Where's tha window!?" Meizu whispered harshly, nibbling on his thumbnail in distress. "We didn' even _move _'nywhere...!"

I suppressed the urge to gnash my teeth together and I turned my head back forward, desperately searching through the fog for..._what_? Somehow, we'd left the orphanage and entered Wonderland without noticing. Was Tsunao's window a portal to a fog world like the one in that horror game I can't remember the name of? Was it called _Quiet Knoll_? No, that didn't sound right. Regardless, I just hoped I wouldn't see any monsters coming out from the bleak expanse of white...

"Meizu... Shizuka..." Gōzu's voice was soft, breathy and it took a little effort to actually hear him despite the fact the he was standing behind me. "Mei...zu... Shi...zu...k...a..."

_Something's wrong._

Why did Gōzu sound so far away? And why hadn't Meizu responded to him? I turned around. I chocked down the gasp of astonishment as I realized that I was _alone_. I hadn't been turned away from them for more than a few seconds and, yet, they were _gone_.

There was no sign of Gōzu.

No sign of Meizu.

They had just disappeared into thick mist, without so much as a scream or a gasp or a cry.

And there was only me remaining, trapped in a void of foreboding silence and fog.

...

_Something's wrong._

I could _feel_ it.

...

..

.

_Someone's watching._

**~{II}~**

"_Pathetic_."

These little brats had _nothing _of what it took to be shinobi of Kiri. They were sickeningly _pathetic_ and _weak_. They flinched when he threw kunai near them, they cowered away when he swung his Kubikiribōchō at them and they fled back into the building once the haze of his Hidden Mist technique rolled in. He hadn't expected to find such...such _wastes_ _of breath_ on the outskirts of Kirigakure. The only people who had a right to be so pitiable were civilians, like that blue-haired girl who practically pissed her panties every time she saw him.

He spat at the ground, chuckling lightly as he recalled the flush that surged into her cheeks when she laid eyes on him earlier. Little Nanami was still as cowardly as he remembered, which happened to be something he liked exploiting whenever he came around. He relished in the fact that she wasn't like the usual civvies woman who typically ran away when he came around. Nanami would always be on the verge of fainting around him but she _never_ ran away from him and he _supposed _that counted for something.

_She ain't too hard on the eyes, either._ He thought with a light, lecherous smirk as he rubbed the scar on his cheek. _Wonder if I can get her to my place one of these days?_

The swordsman shouldered Kubikiribōchō, forming the tiger seal with his free hand to dispel his jutsu until, out of the blue, he picked up on three chakra signatures that weren't there before. By the size of them, he could tell they were kids but one of those signatures was a bit too large to be considered some small kid and was debatable. If he estimated, he would put it around the size of a newly-graduated genin and he doubted that an orphan brat had access to the proper training to be in possession of that much chakra.

He licked his lips slowly, their corners pulling up slighly as his excitement rose with each passing second.

_I guess this place ain't full of weaklings...! _His smirk was full of deviousness as he performed the seals for low-grade genjutsu (because why the hell not). _We'll see how long they last now that they've wandered into my domain...!_

Immediately after he finished the final seal, he could already tell it was a success due to the three brats slowly wandering away from each other, presumably unaware of each others' location in his thick mist. Giving Kubikiribōchō a few warm-up swings, he dashed off towards one of the smaller chakra signatures, deciding to leave that larger one for last.

"Hey! Gōzu! Stupid girl! Where are ya!? He— _AAAIIIEEE!_"

He yanked up the kid by the back up of his shirt, twisting the kid towards him and giving him a devious grin. The wild-haired kid gulped loudly and cowered away from him, making his grin stretch even farther across his face. The grin on his face only lasted until the brat opened his mouth and blurted, "I _knew _ya was here! HA! That stupid girl won't know what hit her!"

He gave the swordsman a beaming smile. "Say, when ya get that stupid girl, can ya like, I don' know, drown her in tha sea or somethin'? I don't want people ta know she's gone so ya gotta— _OWW!_"

The swordsman dropped the kid on the ground, already annoyed with his voice and words. Reminded him of Hiramekarei's wielder with how he talked too damn much. "Shut up, brat! Or do gotta lop ya head off an' wear it as an ornament!?"

"_You_ was the one who came ta me, ninja man!" He growled as he glared up at the swordsman. "I was just out here ta prove that ya were— _OW!_"

He smirked as he gave the kid a swift but light kick in the butt. Enough to shut him up but not enough to hurt him much—he didn't need Mizukage-sama on his case again for injuring civvies. "Shut up, I said!" He grumbled as the kid scooted away from him. "Yeah, move away if ya know what's good for ya..."

_The audacity of this kid..._ He glowered down at the boy who returned his look with an identical one. _Still got spunk even though I can kill 'im in less than a second..._

"Meizu! Shizuka!" A pause. "Where are you!? Are you all right!?"

He really didn't feel like bothering with Brat #01 anymore—too much lip and not enough of what he wanted to see. He shot the kid one last nasty look before dashing off towards the next chakra signature, one wandering close towards the building. The swordsman bared his teeth as he pulled out a few shuriken, flicking them towards the target. He smirked when he heard a sharp yelp and, within a few moments, Brat #02 was skittering towards him.

The swordsman almost wondered how Brat #01 managed to navigate through the fog so quickly but he immediately spotted the differences between them. Brat #01 looked like he'd been scuttling through the wild for a few days while this Brat #02 looked a bit more neater than that. Must've been twins or something.

_But do they react the same...?_

Brat #02 took a step away from him, his brown eyes wide and his shoulders trembling. The swordsman smirked viciously as he brandished Kubikiribōchō, intent on slicing off a few strands of hair—just to shake the kid up a little bit. He brought the sword up, vicious smile stretching his face...

Until the brat opened his mouth.

"You can't kill me."

_What did this kid just say to me!?_ "...What did you just say to me, kid?"

The boy's voice shook but his words were firm. "I said...that you can't kill me." He paused before adding, "Shinobi-san."

_What is up with these kids? First, I get a bunch that piss their pants seein' me, now, I get the ones who ain't even scared o' me?_ His sword lowered an increment. _Can't I get a nice in between?_

"You can't kill me because...you're a shinobi. A-and shinobi are supposed to protect us." The kid's gaze dropped to the ground.

The swordsman barked out a laugh. Poor kid. He still thought ninja were heroes. He must've been reading those stories about Kiri's founder or something. He'd learn real soon that those shinobi of legends were nothing but fakes and that those stories were used to lure unsuspecting children like him into becoming killers bound eternally to their village.

Lest they wanted to be hunted down like dogs by Kiri's hunter-nin units and mercenary-nin, that is.

He snorted obnoxiously, patting the kid's head roughly and ignoring the sound of protest that the kid made. "Now why would ya say a thing like that, kid? I could ripe out ya spine and strangle ya with it. Who'd stop me?" He made sure to flash a sharp-toothed smile to unnerve the kid.

"W-well, if you wanted to kill me, you would have done it before I'd even noticed. P-Plus, my brother saw you earlier and, if he saw you, that means that you _let_ him see you." The brown-haired boy explained in a soft voice. "I doubt you have any reasons to kill children... Unless you just don't like children?" He looked up at him through his eyelashes.

He stared down at the little kid, his gaze blank as he absorbed the kid's rather sound reasoning...and he subsequently grew bored of Brat #02, just like he had with Brat #01. One talked too much about nothing while the other one talked too much about logical shit—you could tell they were related to each other. The swordsman resorted to ignoring the brown-haired boy and preparing to go off towards the final brat, the one with too much chakra for an orphan.

The swordsman didn't even feel like getting his hopes up about this one because he knew he'd be disappointed. Maybe, after this whole failure of a hazing and the following lecture he'd get from Mizukage-sama, he'd take his frustrations out on Hiramekarei's wielder. It had been awhile since he knocked him around a little bit.

Within the next few moments, he was standing a few feet behind Brat #03 who had yet to turn around. He grimaced lightly at the brightness of the kid's hair—red wasn't a color often seen in Kirigakure. He took another step forward, stopping when he saw the kid look over their shoulder before slowly turning to face him. His eyebrow cocked once he realized the kid was indeed a girl, going by the flowery barrette holding her bangs back (and because who would put girly-ass barrettes in a boy's hair?).

They stared at one another for a time, neither saying anything or moving an inch until the swordsman pulled out a couple of kunai. He waved them in his hand a little, waiting for the kid to recoil in fear or say_ something_ in response to his threat.

Still, the kid just stood there, staring at him with an inscrutable gaze.

His eyes narrowed as he tossed the projectiles at the girl with a small flick of his wrist. One landed next to the girl, burying itself into the ground with a '_thunk_' while the other sliced off a few strands of hair. The girl started slightly, her lips twisting downwards as she toyed with the ends of her bangs before she bending down to pick up...the kunai?

Really? He hadn't seen that one today. She was careful in handling it, too, which was surprising considering the fact that even kids that were older than her were too stupid sometimes to pick it up by the handle. She poked the point of it, blinking owlishly at the drop of blood she'd drawn from herself and the swordsman groaned silently and looked skywards as he waited for the girl to begin crying for someone to kiss her _boo-boo_.

"Meizu right." He heard her say and his head dropped down to see the girl holding out the kunai for him to take. "Ninja man was real."

...

Huh.

He squatted down and took the kunai held out for him. The girl watched him with guarded eyes and he couldn't stop the grin that stretched his face because this little brat had a pretty good poker face for her age. The swordsman ruffled the girl's hair, laughing a bit as she moved her head away from his hand and reaching her hands up to smooth down the mess he'd made.

"So, little girl, ya thought I was some illusion or somethin'?" He snickered as he formed the release seals for both his jutsu. "How's it feel to see the real thing?"

She didn't respond. Instead, she glanced around, presumably watching the fog dissipate. After a few seconds, her eyes landed on what he assumed was his forehead. Her eyebrows knitted together as she reached up to touch his face and he grabbed her wrist to stop her action.

"No touchin', kid." He grunted. He wasn't about to let some kid touch his face for any reason.

"What that metal thing?" She asked, pointing towards his face.

"What?" He tapped his kunai against the metal protecting his forehead. "This?" He smirked at her nod. "This here's my headband. Proof I'm a shinobi of Kirigakure. What? You want one?"

She stayed silent, the expression on her face contorting into another unreadable one. Then, her green eyes lit up with recognition. "_Oh_... _That_ world where I am." She shrugged after another moment.

"What the hell are you tal—"

"Shizu-chan!? Where are you!?"

Right when he was about to ask about what the hell the little brat was talking about, the old woman's voice called out. The swordsman let out an exasperated sigh and he let his head tilt back. She was rushing past him in less than a few minutes (Damn, she moved _fast _for an old biddy) and scooping up the little girl in a swift motion. Brats #01 and #02 came trailing behind her a few seconds later with Nanami at their heels and the swordsman rolled his eyes as the old woman pinned him with a glare.

"Jūzō! Why did you think it was a good idea to harm these children!?" She yelled at him and he winced in response. "Surely, all those years in Kiri's service hasn't made you into a complete imbecile!"

His grip on Kubikiribōchō's hilt tightened at the old woman's insult but he played off his irritation by giving her a nonchalant smile. "Look, old woman, those brats came out here on their own accord. It ain't my fault _someone_ wasn't watchin' 'em right." He sent a sly look to Nanami, who jerked back in fear. "Why hold me accountable for her mistake?"

"Don't try to change the subject, Jūzō." The old woman paused. "Do I have to send a letter to Mizukage-sama regarding your performance?"

His expression tensed minutely. "..._No_, that ain't necessary." Reluctantly, he bowed deeply. "...Sorry about that. I let my excitement get the better of me and I put the bra— _KIDS_ in possible danger."

He heard the old woman huff something out and he stifled the snarl that threatened to overtake his face. The old woman better be glad Mizukage-sama was fond of her because, if he _wasn't_, heads would most definitely rolling. He straightened up his stature whist putting Kubikiribōchō in its holster on his back.

The swordsman, Jūzō Biwa, offered them a strained smile. "I suppose I better be getting' back. Got other things to do other than this."

"Bye, ninja man!" Brat #01 said with a wide grin while Brat #02 merely nodded towards him. The girl stared at him for the longest moments until a slow, toothy grin pulled up onto her lips. He snorted a little because the girl looked a little demented when smiling like that and he couldn't help but think he had something in common with her on that note. He gave them all a two-fingered wave (and a devilish grin for Nanami) before disappearing in a swirl of mist.

...

It was time to report his findings to Mizukage-sama.

**~{II}~**

"Just what in the world were you _thinking_!?" Granny Kasumi ranted and I grimaced at the volume of her voice. "You could've gotten yourselves _killed_!"

...And that was about the time I began tuning her out because I had more important things to think about.

So, it looks like I was reborn into _that _world.

I realized it when I saw that headband on that ninja's forehead. It had these four squiggly lines on it and, then, everything clicked together once he said that it was proof he was one of Kiri's—as in Kirigakure, the Village Hidden in Mist that was in the Land of Water—ninja. What was the series called?

_Namuro_?

_Nagato_?

_Sasuruto_?

Oh, wait.

It was called _Naruto_.

All right, so I was in a world whose laws were dictated by people that could spew fire and walk on water and, by chance, I'd been reborn into one of the worst places to be, if I recalled correctly. Granted, things could've been a little better (I could've been born into a world where all you had to do was farm and get married) but it also could've been _way _worse (I could've been born in that fog world from that one video game I mentioned earlier).

I suppose I'll just have to make due with the cards I've been dealt. I mean, it isn't as if I _have _to be a ninja.

...

We all know I'm going to be a ninja.

Why bother trying to claim otherwise? I _could_ be a regular girl but what was the point in doing that? I was always a bit fond of doing a few dangerous stunts—I mean, the whole reason I died in the first place was because I was being careless and driving a little _too fast _around a dangerous mountain curve. I'd already died once and I have enough intelligence to keep myself alive for a little longer.

Compared to other people—_normal _people—I was technically at the top of the food chain, considering I knew exactly what was going to transpire in the coming years. Besides, if I can recall correctly, shit hits the fan at some point and I'd like to be ready for when it comes.

...And the fame that comes with the position of a successful shinobi doesn't really hurt, either.

I mean, who was I even, in that other life?

Some college girl who had a daring streak in her but, otherwise, was hardly noteworthy when standing in a crowd of people. Honestly, had I really been _important and great_, I would've remembered every detail of my personal life besides the fact that I was a bit of an anime and gaming nerd and was careless enough to get myself killed.

Here, I had a chance to become something _bigger and better _than what I had been.

I mean, why else would the deities-that-be even bother reincarnating me if I wasn't destined for greatness? They had given me something no person in recorded history had ever been given: a _New Game Plus_.

With that in mind, how exactly can I gain my rightful reward if I repeat history by settling with becoming the same, plain girl I'd been?

...

So, that was that. I was going to become a powerful ninja.

A fitting goal, if you ask me.

* * *

**.**

* * *

**Edited: 27/03/2015 - Changed the format a little. Changed Wakeru's name to the proper canon one (Wakeru B****ūdo - ****Jūzō Biwa). Added a bit more dialogue to the last section to better flesh out Shizuka's personality.**


	3. DROP III - Knowledge Is Power

**Disclaimer: _Naruto_ © Masashi Kishimoto. The only things I own are my OCs and I gain nothing from writing this story besides the pleasure.**

* * *

**. Scarlet Waters - Chapter Three - Knowledge is Power.**

* * *

"I'm glad that you decided to help me, Shizu-chan." The old woman said with a slight smile and a glance to the redheaded girl sitting quietly by her side. "We live in the same place but it feels as if I haven't seen you at all lately."

The young girl made a grunting noise as she slowly but deftly peeled the potato in her hand. Kasumi _should've_ been worried about letting the five year old wield a sharp tool—only a potato peeler—but Shizuka had long since proved she was intelligent and dexterous enough not to harm herself or anyone else with it.

...Not unless she _wanted_ to, that is.

Kasumi grimaced as she looked back at the boiling pot of stew on the stove. Kasumi knew that she had grown past her prime but, even through the passage of time, she was glad to say that her mind was still sound and her senses still sharp. It was because of these retained attributes that the old woman was able to see what Shizuka _really_ was: a young girl whose mind and thoughts were on a _much_ higher level than that of her peers.

In other, much simpler terms, Shizuka was a prodigy.

For Kasumi, it wasn't hard to see. Ever since the young girl had been born, she did things that children her age _shouldn't_ have had the mind to do. Nanami thought Kasumi ignorant and blinded by her affection and love for the girl but Kasumi was no fool—she saw the things Shizuka could and often did do when she thought Nanami's presence was the only one around. The little girl had a mischievous, somewhat mean streak towards Nanami and the large majority of the other children but it never amounted to more than her usual assaults to others' hair and disturbing stares with accompanying eerie smiles.

Shizuka understood the concept of pain and discomfort and that was something that most couldn't quite register until they were around two or three but Shizuka knew it by the time she could _crawl_ at a few months and possibly before even that! It was insignificant and somewhat hard to spot but Shizuka was always careful to not physically harm those around her age, most assuredly knowing that they were sensitive to physical pain but much more receptive to the mental strain she put on them.

(Kasumi didn't want to admit it out loud but she was worried the girl would grow to become a sadist one day.)

Kasumi glanced back down at the quiet girl's head, recalling the day years ago that Shizuka had gained her first tooth.

"Weird" and "ugly" Shizuka had called it, as if she'd known that having such teeth weren't of the norm. There was no way that the then one year old could've known that having such teeth naturally was an incredibly rare occurrence unless one was of either Hoshigaki, Hōzuki, Kinkan or Ichijiku blood. That alone begged the question of how a child possibly belonging to one of Kirigakure's noble clans could end up in an orphanage on the village's outskirts.

_That_, however, was a whole can of political problems that Kasumi didn't have the urge to deal with and, honestly, it was none of her concern any longer. She had encountered that pregnant, nameless woman years ago and had not asked of her origins—Kasumi wished that she _had_ so that Shizuka could be in her rightful place—but Kasumi had not and there was no changing past events and, therefore, no reason for regrets.

Shizuka, much like her deceased mother, was an enigma.

Her thoughts were always guarded and her actions, always deliberate and with purpose, much like how, once she grew tired of the children's books that Kasumi owned, she, along with Gōzu, constantly ransacked Nanami's books for something more stimulating to read. The topics varied but Kasumi noticed Shizuka preferred fiction and biographies over academics. The way she'd look at the math and science books and scoff, as if they weren't worthy of her time, was something that made Kasumi curious into seeing if the girl already _knew _the information hidden in those books.

But, she didn't because, deep down, Kasumi already knew what the outcome would be.

"Through." The redhead stated as she stood and stretched before placing the peeler on the counter. "I'll sweep up."

"Thank you, Shizu-chan."

The girl's speech was something else that had also grown over the past five years. Kasumi could remember quite clearly when the girl could only speak in broken sentences and, as much as the old woman found it cute, the girl herself was obviously dissatisfied with her speaking abilities. Her reading and understanding skills were impressive from the start but, when it came to actual speaking, Gōzu—who was also quite intelligent for his young age—had her beat. It was the most likely reason why the girl tolerated and interacted with the boy in the first place: to use him as a means to further her language skills.

Shizuka seemed to be driven with only her own self-interests in mind but, at the very least, the bond she had with Gōzu had developed into something that wasn't so shallow any longer. Not only did they just read together, they also shared snacks and even blankets when the days grew especially cold. She even tolerated Gōzu's twin brother, Meizu, regardless of the fact that he couldn't stand to be around her. The things the redhead did for the elder twin were small but Kasumi supposed that in Shizuka's opinion, actions spoke louder than the words she could utter.

(Was it bad that Kasumi wanted to see Shizuka and Gōzu together one day? Childhood sweetheart stories were her absolute _favorites_!)

She covered up her soft squeal with a cough, causing the young girl to turn around and stare at her with suspicious eyes for a long moment before asking, "...Are you okay, Granny Kasumi?"

"Why, yes. Of course, Shizu-chan." She cleared her throat, covering her smiling mouth with a kimono sleeve. "Ah, Shizu-chan... What is it that you'll be doing after this?"

"Studying. Meditating." She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear while shrugging. "Both, maybe." The girl paused. "When is Jūzō-san coming to visit again? In a couple of weeks?"

Ah. Jūzō Biwa of the Seven Ninja Swordsman of the Mist and wielder of Kubikiribōchō. An intimidating brute of a man that had been assigned with weeding out the children who had the nerves to become ninja for the past decade. He also had a pleasure for harassing poor Nanami for just as long (something Shizuka and he unfortunately had in common).

To Kasumi, he was just Jūzō, a dangerous older man that she could remember as a dangerous younger man from years past and, to everyone else, he was _THE_ Jūzō Biwa...but, to Shizuka, Meizu and Gōzu, he was simply Jūzō_-san_, as they so fondly called him.

She didn't particularly approve of the liking the children had taken of the man but there was little she could actually do about it. It also didn't help that Jūzō had taken a sort of liking to the children himself, what with the way that he'd sit and tell them of his gruesome stories and perform ninjutsu and genjutsu for them to see along with teaching them to do a few punches and kicks—had it been different circumstances, Kasumi would've found it all adorable, but, unfortunately, she knew of Jūzō's _true_ reason for doing the things that he was.

He was preparing them for Mist's Academy.

It was plain to see the three of them would be the next recruits for the ninja school. No other child had even _thought _about entering, not after that scare Jūzō gave them that fateful day two years ago, along with the Fourth's latest graduation requirement. The old woman would've been ecstatic about the turn of events...if only it hadn't singled out those three children in the process. That man... He was luring them into nothing but trouble...

And they were willingly following after him.

Her arms fell to her sides, her clenched fists obscured by the fall of fabric. She smiled as kindly as she possibly could. "Jūzō? Why, I believe he'll be back near the beginning of March."

Shizuka hummed softly, thoughtfully as she leaned the broom against the wall. "I see." Her footsteps were quiet as she padded towards the hallway and they stopped as she lingered in the doorway. "I'm finished cleaning, Granny Kasumi. I'll be studying... Meditating. Both." She flicked a bit of hair over her shoulder. "I'll see you at dinner, Granny Kasumi."

Then, she was gone from the room, leaving Kasumi in silence.

The old woman's smile gradually fell until it set into a thin line and the tenseness that had taken hold of her body had refused to pass as she stood there, staring at the place Shizuka had been standing only a few moments before.

Yes... Shizuka was a prodigy. She was intelligent and she was clever. She was manipulative, selfish, thought about only herself (and Gōzu, to a certain extent) and she seemed to be most content when she was alone or when she was causing some else grief. She was developing vain tendancies. She was hard-headed and prideful.

Those were not the qualities of a sweet, innocent child.

...

It must've been a figment of her imagination. Really, it must've been. Kasumi claimed that her senses and mind were still sharp but why did they insist on playing such tricks on her eyes?

...

Why was it that, in that brief window of time, she no longer saw a small girl...but an adult woman standing in Shizuka's place?

**~{III}~**

"Get out."

I watched with complacent amusement as the three other girls I shared a room with dropped the dolls they were playing with and skittered around me to escape the room. A snort left my lips as I picked up the tattered dolls, threw them into the hallway and shut the door behind me. I took a step towards my bed, faltering for a second, before turning and locking the door for added security. My steps were light as I walked towards my bed and I fell to my knees to pull the items hidden beneath it out into the open.

Books, scrolls and annotated notes that contained the pieced together fragments of my old memories and the information that I'd gathered from this world were placed safely within a leftover crate I'd confiscated from the kitchen. After five years of being in this world and spending three of them completely ignorant to the place I'd been reborn, I had compiled a good chunk of data to make up for all that time I'd missed. Granted, I was pretty sure I was still missing important snippets of info but I just assumed that those things would come back with time, just like the rest had.

I unfurled the map I'd pilfered from Nanami those years ago, frowning at the tear that ran down its middle and ended a few inches from its bottom—it was damage done by Meizu when I'd pissed him off a few months back. Dumb brat sure could be vindictive when someone pulled on those unsightly tangles in that nest he called hair; I'd only meant to help him but I should've known better than to try to help that ungrateful asshole. Luckily, Gōzu had retrieved my possession before his brother could destroy it completely (I just _love_ that kid).

Surprisingly, the map consisted of more land than just the Elemental Nations. There were _many_ outlaying islands off the east coast of Water Country and another whole _continent_ to the south of the mainland. With the way that the main series focused on the Elemental Nations somewhat exclusively, it made one wonder if the planet we resided on consisted _only_ of the Nations and nothing else at all.

It also made me wonder if this world was really round or not.

Anyways, out of all the places I could've possibly ended up, I'd been born in Water Country, somewhere on the outskirts of Kirigakure, in which I've never stepped foot. Considering the reputation that it had, one could say that I missed the bull's eye while playing Reincarnation Roulette and yet...I can honestly say that I'd rather be _anywhere_ other than Konoha. It had more than enough people living there—its population rating was the highest than all the nations, after all—and lingering too close to the main characters made me feel a bit icky on the inside, for some reason.

No, I was better off where I was.

I'd long decided that I'd worry about myself and my own surroundings before I ever entertained the notion of "saving the world." From what I remembered, Kirigakure had a heap of troubles that needed to be sorted out and, maybe, in resolving some of those problems, I could help out in my own way. What was it called? The Ripple Effect? One small change can largely alter future events. At any rate, before I attempted to puzzle my brain about all of that, I wanted to have a solid understanding of where I was and how things worked.

That brings me to my next topic of discussion: Kirigakure's history and background.

(I'm a bit of a history buff. So sue me.)

After the foundation of Konoha marked the gradual ending of the Warring States Era, other Hidden Villages began to appear in the other unclaimed territories spread throughout the land. Kirigakure was no exception, being the fourth village to come into existence after Konoha, Kumo and Iwa but it was different in the way that, instead of settling on the mainland, the village was built on a desolate island off the coast, away from the rest of the villages. The reason for that is a rather interesting one and concerns a man named Byakuren, better known as the First Mizukage.

Historically, Byakuren was known as a rather cautious and cynical individual, traits that befitted a man who made his name by using genjutsu and mist techniques to fool others and, considering the time he was born and thrived in, I think those two traits are reasonable to expect someone like him to have. Because of his suspicious nature, he didn't think it was such an unlikely idea that perhaps, one day, the other nations would turn against one another and throw the land back into the war-torn era they'd just emerged from. With that thought in mind, Byakuren chose an area that would allow him to view the rest of the nations' activities (or, at least, Konoha and Kumo) and give him a defensive advantage over them.

Hence, how Kirigakure came to exist in the Land of Water.

Considering all of the tactical rpgs I can vaguely remember myself playing, I can wholeheartedly agree with Byakuren's decision to forego territory size in exchange for geographical advantages. In the event that a nation decided to launch an attack on Kirigakure, there were many obstacles for them to pass before they would reach their destination.

First: the sea separating the Land of Water from the mainland.

Even with the ability to walk on water and teleport at will, I assume that the average ninja would lack the chakra to cover such a distance without resting at some point, meaning that there may be a need to use ships to initiate naval combat of some kind. The Land of Water is filled with shinobi that possess natural talent using water techiniques so any vessels in the sea are most definitely done for if capable Kiri shinobi caught those hypothetical ships in their sight.

Second: the mist that obscured the Land of Water and a portion of the surrounding islands.

Under the pretense that I'm completely wrong about the usage of naval ships, the fog that surrounds Water Country extends pretty far out, impairing vision as soon as one draws too close. Not only that but, as an added security measure, Byakuren managed to fuse his own unique mist technique with the natural haze that hovered and, even now, some of his residual chakra remains within in it. Only shinobi from Kiri _truly_ knew how to see through it, once again, marking any enemy who manages to navigate through it for a sad ending.

The third and last obstacle: fighting Mist shinobi on their home turf was just asking for an ass beating.

By the time one managed to navigate through the waters and fog, recover from the journey to Water Country _and_ somehow make it passed the hypothetical ninja sinking those hypothetical ships, they'd have to deal with the calvary.

You see, what Kirigakure lacked in numbers, it more than made up in ability and competence on the field from its shinobi. Adding in the fact that clans like the Hoshigaki—who were known to be chakra powerhouse with access to coveted Sage techniques—and the Hōzuki—who were impervious to physical damage due to them basically being water personified—a person would have a _very_ slim chance of surviving in battle against them. There were also the likes of the Ichijiku clan, who inherited Byakuran's mastery over the Hidden Mist jutsu, and the Kinkan clan, who were unrivaled in usage of water and lightning techniques.

However, even with all the defenses from the outside world, Byakuren didn't take into account the dangers that could transpire in the midst of his own land. It's a bit sad how the man's wary nature seemed to rub off on the inhabitants of Water Country when it came to possessors of kekkei genkai. I assume that because of the genetic advantages those individuals had, Byakuren was scared that one of them might try to upsurp control from him or something. His fear wasn't exactly unfounded—it was obvious that people born with kekkei genkai had a distinct advantage over those without.

I, however, was under the impression that hard work could beat out natural talent.

Enough with the history lesson, though. All that information was the fruits of many days and nights running through history texts and scrolls available in Kirigakure's library. It was thanks to Nanami and, to a certain extent, Jūzō-san, that I was able to get a hold of them. At the thought of him, I rolled up my beloved map and spent a few minutes stretching out my limbs to get ready for a bit of meditation.

Jūzō Biwa was a member of Kiri's Seven Ninja Swordsmen and the current user of Kubikiribōchō. He was the guy who'd gotten chewed out by Granny Kasumi a couple years before and was also the catalyst for helping me realize my whereabouts. After that first time, I thought I wouldn't see him again but...he came back the next year, looking specifically for myself, Gōzu and Meizu, for the purpose of recruiting for the Academy. Granted, he never said it out loud that he was looking for us specifically nor did he blurt out his intentions but it was blatantly obvious once you noticed that Gōzu, Meizu and I were the only ones who participated in the hazing that year.

And the one after that, too.

I guess you could say that, during that time, the man had gotten used to the three of us and thought it a better use of his time to just tell stories about his lesser missions or give us a few starting pointers and advice. For some reason, I kept remembering the ninja of Kirigakure as monsters who didn't care about anyone other than themselves but, whenever Jūzō-san came around, I found myself questioning those thoughts. I won't say that he's all "sunshine-and-rainbows" but I will say that he's not as bad as you'd think he would be.

(Plus, he liked messing with Nanami and that was always fun to see.)

_Breath in. Breath out. Take a deep breath._ I folded my legs beneath me, placed my hands on my knees and fell into a state of concentration. _Let it go. Let it out. Take a deep breath._

Chakra—the energy that ran throughout our body in its own special circulatory system—was something that was a rather curious thing to a person like me who lived a life without such a thing existing before. The little tidbit I remembered off the top of my head was that chakra was used for jutsu and, if you ever ran out of chakra, you'd die. That assumption wasn't too far off from the truth but it was the very barest of minimums.

Being the person that I am, I attempted to use chakra, just to see if I could. It probably wasn't the greatest of ideas and I was lucky that nothing particularly dangerous happened. As a matter of fact, _nothing_ _at all_ happened. I just sat with my eyes clenched shut and with tightly clasped hands, waiting for something to happen for about ten minutes before getting pissed off and grabbing someone's hair in frustration. Surely, chakra wasn't _that_ difficult to summon, especially considering that just about _everyone_ had it. I decided to ask Jūzō-san about it, since he was the best I was going to get, and he told an interesting piece of information.

* * *

_"You tried to use chakra?" He stared at us before bursting into loud, obnoxious laughter. "Civvies..can't..use...chakra!" He wheezed out as his laughs died down._

_"Why not? I thought ya just did ya hands like this an'_—_" Meizu poked his tongue out in concentration while doing some makeshift hand seals._

_"You dumbass! I just told ya civvies can't use chakra!" He jabbed the boy in the forehead, snorting at his squeal of indignation. "That means _you _too, brat!"_

_"Explain." I requested shortly and I frowned as the swordsman decided to roughly ruffle up my hair. "Stop that, please."_

_"Look, let me give you brats a little lesson. Civvies can't use chakra 'cause they don't know how to channel chakra to their chakra points." At our blank looks, J_ūzō_ scoffed and waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry 'bout what a chakra point is yet, okay? Just know that civvies don't know have enough chakra to perform jutsu and that, even if they did, they don't know how to release it to their chakra points."_

_"How do we learn how to do it then?" __Gōzu asked quietly. "How do we get more chakra?"_

_J__ūzō__ snickered as he leaned an elbow on his knee. "You brats are too young so you ain't got enough chakra to be tryin' to use jutsu but you can start exercisin' and meditatin' to raise ya stamina." Once again, he scoffed at our blank looks. "Damn, you brats are dumb as shit. Look, ya stamina is made up of the physcial and spiritual energies used for chakra. You raise physical energy by exercisin' and you raise spiritual energy by usin' ya damn brain. That excess chakra you create gets put into chakra reserves used specifically for jutsu."_

_"So, all we gotta do is study and exercise, right?" Meizu asked excitedly, practically jumping up and down. "And, then, we'll be able to do jutsu?"_

_J__ūzō __rubbed his chin in thought. "I don't know 'bout you two. Not any time soon..." He flashed me a toothy grin. "But she might be able to."_

_"Why her!? Why can she use jutsu!?" The wild-haired boy glared daggers at me, which I promptly ignored. "What makes her special-er than us!?" _

_He shrugged with that same smirk on his face. "Dunno. She's just got more chakra in 'er than you two brats."_

* * *

Civilians can't perform jutsu because they don't know how to channel chakra to their chakra points. I don't really remember anything about how chakra works but I think I can safely say that the series never explained that piece of information about. It made sense, in a way, I suppose—chakra's first and foremost usage was to flow through the body and keep it functioning. It didn't make excess in order for people to go around using jutsu haphazardly. If a person wanted to use jutsu, they had to build up _more_ than what was necessary for living and then they had to learn how to channel that excess to the various chakra points on the body. The excess of chakra becomes what I think is what people mean by your chakra reserves.

I remember the series making it a point to never exert yourself and use up all your chakra. When you ran low on chakra, your body would fall into a weakened state where you'd essentially pass out to keep yourself from wasting more chakra. Much like physical exhaustion, after some rest and possibly some kind of medicine, you'd be back on your feet because chakra regenerates—the rate depends on the person but it regenerates just the same. It was still pretty dangerous, though, if you didn't get immediate medical attention or if you ran your charka reserves completely dry in one go.

So, Jūzō-san answered my question: I couldn't perform a jutsu because I didn't know how to expel chakra from my chakra points. Apparently, it was something that was taught at the Academy and, if you were lucky enough, taught to you if you were born into a ninja family. Maybe. I didn't know about that latter one but it made sense, at least to me.

But, in answering one question, Jūzō-san brought up another one: Why did I have more chakra than Meizu and Gōzu? Was it some kind of effect of being reborn? I realized that the amount of chakra in a person depended on the individual—that's just common sense—but it didn't explain _why_ and that bothered me.

A lot.

I know I told myself that it was because I was destined for glory—and, don't get me wrong, I still believed it was—but _why_?

Why _me_? That question could be applied to the very question of my existence here, in this world that was once _fake _to me. Was there a reason why I was chosen out of the millions of the departed souls to be reborn? Was there some latent ability that only I contained and it called for my reincarnation? _What was the deal!?_

I didn't like being ignorant. Three whole years in ignorance was not bliss. It made me feel weak and useless, like I was just wasting away. I didn't like that feeling. It was the whole reason why I wanted to become a ninja in the first place: I wanted to take my future into my own hands. I didn't want to sit around and let someone else decide my fate. The best way to do that was to become a fighter...or a ninja, in this case.

Throwing myself into danger headfirst? Sounded like a plan to me.

What was the saying? _The greatest defense was a good offense_, I believe it was. That pretty much sums up my whole take on this. Instead of playing defense by staying a civilian, I'd go on the offense and become a ninja, all the while learning what I could about the rest of the world, how things worked and its people.

_It's great to learn because knowledge is power!_ My eyes blinked open at the little jingle that was _so familiar_ and I strained slightly to remember where I'd heard it before. When no recollections surfaced, I shrugged it off and went back to my prior task. _Memories are so fickle sometimes._

...But, it was good advice to follow, at any rate.

**~{III}~**

The rest of January and February flew by without incident and, before I'd even noticed, it was about time for Jūzō-san's visit. This time, however, would be different. Meizu, Gōzu and I were of the proper age for admittance in the Academy and I had the distinct feeling that Jūzō-san was going to bring it up. If he didn't bring up the subject, _I _would gladly do so for him because I was beginning to run out of research materials. I'd pretty much gotten down history and geography and I had a basic understanding of how chakra worked but I felt that it was one of those things that needed to be experienced through practice.

"What kind of ninja would you become, Shizu-chan?" Gōzu asked from beside me as he looked up from his book.

I paused briefly in brushing my hair, contemplating his question for a few seconds before shrugging and continuing my task. "Don't know. What about you?"

Gōzu opened his mouth to respond but Meizu swiftly interrupted him. "_I'm_ gonna join the Seven Ninja Swordsmen!" He gloated whilst tossing rocks towards some bushes. "I wonder if Jūzō-san would gimme his sword...?"

"I...don't think so, Meizu." Gōzu said somewhat slowly. "I think that...he has to _choose_ a person he thinks deserves his sword—he won't just give it to you." He shook his head, tilting his head to look at me. "I think that...I might want to become a medic-nin."

"Eh, why? Only _girls_ are medic-nin!"

"Shut up, idiot." I snapped, glaring at the younger twin who huffed and glared back at me. "Being a medic is fine and girls _aren't_ the only ones who work in that area." I tucked some hair behind my ear as I examined myself in my hand mirror. "Kiri probably doesn't have that many medic-nin, anyway. They should gladly take what they can get."

"It's funny you say that, kid, 'cause Kiri ain't too worried 'bout no medics." A familiar voice chuckled lowly from behind us and we all turned to look behind us.

"Hi, Jūzō-san!" We all chimed with varying degrees of enthusiasm.

The man snorted softly, turning his head away from us to possibly cover a smile. Probably not, though. Jūzō-san only really smirked and that was only if he was feeling smug, if he was laughing at someone's misfortune or if Nanami came into his line of sight.

"You brats already know why 'm here today, dontcha?" He gave us a toothy grin as he held up the papers held in his hand. "You know what these are, right?"

I couldn't stop the smirk that appeared on my face as I placed down my hair care objects and got to my feet. My hands reached to snag the paper from his hand but he swiftly moved it out of my reach. He laughed in his signature obnoxious way at the irritated scowl that was most definitely marring my face and I could feel my eyebrow twitching as Meizu decided it was a good idea to snicker quietly at me.

"U-um!" Gōzu bleated out anxiously. "Those are forms for the Academy. Right, Jūzō-san?"

The swordsman sobered almost immediately, his gaze hardening as he stared down at us. "That's right, brats. Once you sign this paper here and I turn 'en in, ain't no goin' back for ya." He dangled the papers in front of our faces. "So...you _sure_ you wanna do this?"

The three of us shared a look with each other before we nodded at the man. He stared at us for a moment longer before his grin slowly returned to his face. He didn't say anything else to us, he only relinquished his hold on the papers and allowed us to dart back inside for a writing utensil. When we finished, we trailed back outside to give the man our forms and he took them with that same smirk still intact. I felt my eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Why isn't Kiri worried about medics?" I asked as the man turned to leave. I was under the impression that medical ninjutsu was something of a..._niche_ field specialization and that Kiri would be glad to take whatever they could get when it came to it.

I mean, they ran through shinobi like toilet paper.

Jūzō-san breathed out a soft laugh, not bothering to turn around. "The only person you little academy kids ought to be worried 'bout...is yourself, brats." With that, he disappeared just as abruptly as he appeared.

"What...do you think he meant, Shizu-chan?"

Meizu thumped the back of his brother's head whilst wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "See? Even _J__ūzō-san_ says being a medic-nin is dumb!" He tapped his chin in thought before grinning brightly. "I know! Why don't we make up some awesome tag team techniques? Then, no one'll be able ta beat us!"

"But, I—"

"Maybe some chains or somethin'! Yeah, that'd be cool, don'tcha think?" He made movements with his hands, imitating the scenarios playing in his head. "We'd be like _'woosh'_! Then like _'fwoosh'_! So cool!"

I rolled my eyes but allowed Meizu to express his dumb ideas to his brother, deciding it was a better idea to go back inside and ponder Jūzō-san's words. There was the stigma that Kirigakure was the cruelest of the shinobi villages and there may have been some merit to that but...something in Jūzō-san's words made me feel..._wary_ for some reason. Was there a reason not to aspire to be a medic-nin? If I had the patience to learn the control for it, I would've entertained the thought of becoming one.

_The only person you little academy kids ought to be worried 'bout healin'...is yourself, brats._

...

I think I might've forgotten something important about Kirigakure...

...Oh well.

I'd remember it eventually.

**~{III}~**

"Are...you sure you want to do this, Shizu-chan?"

"Yes."

"...But...you could _die_ out there."

"I know."

Granny Kasumi sighed softly, her light-colored eyes closing in exasperation as I carefully folded the few clothes that I had.

Most of my clothes were secondhand from the other girls who'd grown out of them (not counting undergarments) but they weren't bad—Granny Kasumi made sure that we took care of our clothes. A lot of the garments were _plain _but that was to be expected when a majority of the clothes were donated to us by people from Kiri and possibly the surrounding islands.

I didn't want to sound ungrateful...but was blue, grey, black and (sometimes) purple the only colors that people wore here? And the pinstripes? _Really_? Luckily, I looked presentable enough in blue and grey and I had a nice sweater that I really liked but I wouldn't mind a variety when it came to color...

"...ould you do it, Shizu-chan?"

"Yes."

She didn't respond. I looked up from my rather sloppy folding, cocking an eyebrow in question. The way her light eyes were trained on my face as if searching for something made me feel a little uncomfortable but I didn't say anything. If Granny Kasumi wanted to burn my adorable visage into her brain, then by all means, I'd allow her to; the old woman deserved it for loving me despite my flaws over the years. My lips twitched into a small smile and I went back to my previous task, letting the matron stare at me in peace.

"Shizuka."

My head snapped up immediately at the grim tone in her usually gentle voice. Also, there was the fact that Granny Kasumi _never_ called me by my full name, not even when she was furious at me for misbehaving. I placed down the pants I was folding and let my body turn fully towards the old woman. It seemed as if her gaze became deeper and more piercing as she cupped my face.

"Shizuka."

"...Granny Kasumi?"

"Do you understand what you want to do, Shizuka?"

My eyebrows furrowed. "...What?"

"You don't know, do you?" She paused, waiting for me to respond. When I didn't, she squeezed my face a bit. "For as smart as you are...you don't realize what you've gotten yourself into." She shook her head slowly. "You poor, poor girl..."

"_What_ are you talking about, Granny Kasumi?" I bit out, becoming irritated that she was beating around whatever issue was bothering her.

"What if you had to hurt someone you cared for?"

"I wouldn't." I answered as soon as she finished her sentence. What the hell was this woman getting at? Did she think I was going to come back and use my newly acquired ninja skills to harass Nanami or something? It was fun bothering her but I'd _never_ hurt her.

"What if you didn't have a choice?" She continued as if I'd never spoke, "What if you had to _kill_ someone you cared for? What if they made you do...or _you'd _be the one to die?"

"Why are you bringing this up, Granny Kasumi?"

"Don't you know, Shizuka, that Kirigakure's Academy makes the students kill each other to become official genin?"

...

...And that was when I remembered it. That was when Jūzō-san's words made sense.

That was also when I began to realize I was rightly screwed I was.

* * *

**.**

* * *

**Edited: 27/03/2015 - Changed the name of one of the OC clans (Zakuro - Kinkan) and corrected the spelling of the other (Ichijuku - Ichijiku). **


	4. DROP IV - Love Lost

**Disclaimer: _Naruto_ © Masashi Kishimoto. The only things I own are my OCs and I gain nothing from writing this story besides the pleasure.**

* * *

**. Scarlet Waters - Chapter Four - Love Lost.**

* * *

_"Why are you bringing this up, Granny Kasumi?"_

_"Don't you know, Shizuka, that Kirigakure's Academy makes the students kill each other to become official genin?"_

_..._

_"Oh. Well."_

_"...Do you not realize what it is you aim to do, Shizuka!? You'll have to kill someone and yet you don't even have the decency to show some emotion, some kind of regret in your decision!?"_

_"When I get to that problem, I'll handle it."_

_"..."_

_"Is that all you wanted? I have to finish packing, if you don't mind."_

_"...I see... Fine then..."_

* * *

Was it possible to stop loving someone?

Let me rephrase that: was it possible to stop loving the person who had taken care of you since you existed in the world? Man was such a volatile creature—they could love you in one second and absolutely despise you in the next. They were never satisfied unless their selfish wants were fulfilled and, even then, there was a high chance that they still wouldn't be satisfied. She was like that—didn't want anything to do with me now that she realized I wasn't willing to back down from what had to be done.

She had loved me at one point but something changed. The way her clear eyes would darken at the sight of me and the way her body would tense when I reached out to hug her were things that I wasn't used to but ultimately began to understand once I realized what had happened: the old woman had come to look at me in the same way Nanami did: in fear and apprehension.

It was a sobering thought: the person who I thought loved me more than anything had turned their back on me within the span of a few short moments. The old woman didn't trust me any longer, most likely because of that short conversation we shared not too long ago—the one about having to choose between killing or being killed in order to advance in rank. I merely told her the truth—if it came down to such a situation, I would deal with it accordingly.

Would she rather I lie to her?

To be honest, it was becoming rather bothersome and annoying. Okay, I understood that I came off as a creepy, demented little girl who didn't really have any strong objections towards the possibility of having to kill another but, for the love of whatever deity that brought me here, it wasn't necessary for every person that encountered me to act as if I was some sort of demon! Jūzō-san had said only untrained civilians had the right to be so pathetic but, if you asked me, no one in the Land of Water had the right to display such cowardice in regards to anything! As a nation that's supposedly been wracked by civil war for the past few years, the denizens ought to have nerves of steel by now!

And it was disgusting that the old woman thought me some kind of monster that would kill her in her sleep. It was appalling, really, and insulting of my intelligence that she thought I would attempt to murder her when there were so many witnesses around. Had I really wanted to kill her, I could simply poison—

(Oh kami, I was actually contemplating ways to murder Kasumi? Why don't I even care—)

...

So...yes, I think it was safe to say that it was entirely possible to stop loving the person who had cared for you since the moment you drew breath. It was entirely possible to take off the rose-colored glasses and see them for what they truly were and it was entirely possible for all the love that you ever felt towards that person to shrivel up and die.

I had called Kasumi a saint for loving me despite everything that was wrong with me but it wasn't me that was the problem, it was her!

She had lied to me.

She betrayed me.

And I wouldn't let something like that happen again.

There's a thin line between love and hate, was the saying that came to mind and it was one that aptly described my relationship with Kasumi.

I had loved her...but I was beginning to...

...

..

.

I don't think it needs to be said, does it?

**~{IV}~**

My final week in the orphanage was a tense and frustrating one for obvious reasons.

I was particularly snappish towards everyone, including Gōzu. The kid seemed to take it in stride, though, and, for that, I gave him a silent and secret kudos. He was among the few people I could trust not to do a complete one-eighty on me, along with his brother, who seemed to forever hate my existence, and Nanami, who was a jittery mess of a woman from the very beginning—they were consistent and I appreciated that. Hell, even the other kids treated me the same but her... Kasumi had taken to pretending as if I didn't really exist any longer.

(Can't believe I actually loved the old bitc—)

Consistency was trustworthy. Inconsistency was not.

So, it was a bit of a surprise to me when, on the morning of our departure, just after dawn, I was greeted not by Jūzō-san's complacent grin...but someone else.

"You. You're one of the Academy orphans, aren't you?"

It was a man, I observed from my place near the door where I was finishing up a few stretches and a few simple kata Jūzō-san had shown us. He was a tall, wiry individual, clad in what I assumed was Kirigakure's standard uniform—dark shirt and pants covered by grey chest armor along with a sword strapped to his back. His hair was bright in the morning's darkness, an orange color that clashed with his clothes and his dark eyes. His stance was relaxed, what with the way he had a hand shoved down into one of his pockets and how his shoulders were slightly slumped, but I'd be a fool if I thought he wouldn't be prepared for whatever came his way.

"Kid. I asked you a question." His voice was drawling, slightly groggy, as if he'd just woken up but there was a hard edge in it. "Are you. One of the. Academy orphans?"

I watched him for a few more brief seconds before nodding my head slowly. "Who are you?"

"Doesn't matter." He blatantly ignored my question, regarding me with something akin to boredom. "Get the other brats and your stuff so we can be outta here."

I frowned but didn't say anymore, instead sticking my head into the door, calling out for the twins and plucking up my worn bag filled with my few belongings, a majority of which were my notes and scrolls. When I turned back, the orange-haired man was watching me with an indiscernible expression on his face. We stared at each other silently before my lips curled into a toothy, most likely eerie smile; that was a given, though, considering my mouth was filled with what I liked to call flesh tearers.

The man watched me for a bit longer before huffing out a short chuckle. "You're a funny one, kid."

...See, this is was why I belonged around shinobi. They realized that there were more scary and intimidating things than a five year old girl with sharp teeth. My smile fell as Meizu came stumbling out the door with a look of excitement on his face and I laughed inwardly as he faceplanted into the wet grass from tripping over his own feet. Gōzu came out after him at a calmer pace, his brown eyes wandering over to me after he'd looked over at the orange-haired man scrutinizing us. I shrugged at his unasked question.

_I don't know where Jūzō-san is._

"Great. The three of you are here." He jerked his head in the direction of the worn, dirt path that led into a forest. "Let's get going. I have other things to get done." He pivoted on his heel, not even bothering to see if we were following.

I glanced at Gōzu and Meizu before setting off after the man. I didn't bother turning to see if Meizu had gotten up or if Gōzu had begun to follow me, nor did I turn to see if the old woman or Nanami had bothered to see us off. I already knew that neither of them would—well, maybe Nanami—but, the last time I checked, she was asleep in her room. As for the old woman, she was sleeping, maybe, but who really gave a shit?

I just wanted to leave.

So, I didn't turn around.

I didn't turn around when Meizu yanked my hair back to run ahead of me.

I didn't turn around when Gōzu placed a friendly hand on my shoulder.

And I didn't turn around when I felt eyes boring into the back of my head or when I heard my name uttered from someone's lips.

...

I just kept walking.

**~{IV}~**

She was gone. Shizuka was gone. And probably never coming back.

Nanami felt a distinct feeling of relief at the thought. The redheaded little girl had always been a handful to be around. She was mean, creepy and took pleasure from unnerving others and making them uncomfortable. Nanami was happy that she didn't have to deal with her any longer.

Shizuka was gone.

And probably never coming back.

Deep in the depths of her mind, an insidious voice questioned why. Why? Why would Shizuka never come back?

She was probably never coming back because...

She was going to die.

It was a simple answer but the simplistic nature of it was what made it so horrible. Shizuka was going to die and so were Meizu and Gōzu. They all were probably going to die and never come back.

Because they wanted to be ninja.

Nanami could tell something was wrong with the general state of Kirigakure—anyone with half a brain could tell that. The ninja were bloodthirsty and sadistic (Jūzō was a prime example), the economy was steadily declining and, the last time she went into the village, there were whispers of war with the nation to the east of Water Country. The state of their country was rapidly beginning to resemble that of a rotting cesspool and there seemed to be no one attempting to changing it.

Now, with the latest amendment to the Academy rules, Nanami didn't even want to think about the amount of casualties that had already transpired. All within the village alone. What sort of leader would so callously throw away the lives of those who worked so hard to become ninja, to throw away lives of those who'd sworn to protect Kirigakure? What sort of leader would subject their home to the horrors and pain of a war—a seemingly unnecessary one, at that.

(Wasn't the rest of the world already in the middle of a war? Why was Yagura igniting the flames of chaos ever further?)

She had heard about Yagura. She'd heard that he was a diplomatic sort of person, one with a composed dignity and integrity about him, one that valued the trust and loyalty of his followers and subjects—he had been what Kirigakure had needed to be the unified nation that so many yearned for them to be.

...

That description did not fit who was currently leader.

His actions didn't fit the image he had somehow managed to make people paint of him. Those words used to describe Yagura didn't fit and, from the looks of it, it seemed as if Yagura was merely sinking them even deeper into the void of darkness that was slowly enveloping, drowning them, consuming them whole.

...

She hadn't wanted Shizuka here. But that hadn't meant she wanted the girl to be sent off to her grave—Nanami would wish that on no one, especially not some five year old little girl.

"G-Granny Kasumi...?" She hesitated behind to the old woman, hands fidgeting restlessly.

She wanted to know. Nanami wanted to know why Granny Kasumi had allowed those children to leave so abruptly, when there was pain waiting for them. Their lives were just beginning and yet... Nanami thought Granny Kasumi had loved them. Was Nanami wrong?

"What is it, Nanami?" Her tone was clipped, urging Nanami to quickly say what she wanted to say and leave her be. "Shouldn't you be doing something productive? There's clothes that need to be washed, food to be cooked and—"

"W-why did you let them leave?"

The old woman fell silent and her body grew still. The blue-haired woman felt awkward about asking but she wanted—no, _needed_—to know why Granny Kasumi had let them leave. And it wasn't just that. Granny Kasumi changed over the course of the past few weeks and Nanami knew the reason was the same one as to why the elder matron had allowed those children to leave.

"What...are you talking about, Nanami?"

"T-the children. Meizu and Gōzu," She paused, swallowing as she forced out the last name, "A-and Shizuka. Why did you let t-them leave here?"

Kasumi's head turned and Nanami shrunk back at the grim line her lips had pursed into. "Why should I stop them? They have enough sense to make their own decisions, Nanami."

What? Nanami found her voice raising a little as she spoke, "B-But, they're only five and six!" She paused, grimacing as she thought about Shizuka. "W-well, maybe Shizuka—"

"There." The old woman folded her hands into her lap. "You have your answer. Shizuka is old enough."

"B-but—"

"Do you believe I just let them go, Nanami?" She questioned, continuing only when Nanami hesitantly shook her head. "I thought that I could perhaps change Shizuka's mind, convince her that becoming a shinobi was the wrong answer. I thought she didn't quite understand what Jūzō had gotten her into, what _she'd_ gotten Meizu and Gōzu into."

"When I told her...about Kirigakure's graduation...she looked at me," The old woman's lips twisted in an emotion Nanami couldn't place, "She looked at me and said, 'Oh. Well.'" Kasumi chuckled bitterly, "I yelled at her, _'You'll have to kill but you don't even have the decency to show any emotion!'_" She rubbed her forehead wearily. "Do you want to know how she replied?"

"I—"

"She looked me dead in the eye and said,_ 'When I get to that problem, I'll handle it.'_"

Nanami gaped, not quite sure how to respond because it was Shizuka, the little girl who was too smart for her own good, but those words... They were too...too..._precise_? Was that the word?

"Now do you see? Shizuka is not a little girl, Nanami. I had had my doubts. Even though she was so intelligent, I had thought she was still a small child at heart and that I could influence her but Shizuka is not a little child and she never has been one."

Kasumi's eyes grew dark. "In that moment, I knew it to be true. She had left me practically speechless and I—" The old woman clutched at her chest with one hand as she continued, "It scared me. More than anything, Nanami. To see her with such an uncaring look on her face. It was so_ terrifying_...!" She placed her forehead in her hands. "...It looks like you were right to be afraid of her, Nanami."

Nanami's face fell as her hands clenched together tightly. "B-b-but that doesn't explain Meizu and Gōzu, Granny Kasumi. W-what about them? Why let them leave?"

"Haven't you noticed, Nanami? Wherever she goes, they go. Like little sheep following a leader. Gōzu adores her—he comforts her, shares things with her, always asks her feelings about things, never goes out of his way to upset her and will attempt to keep others from upsetting her whenever he can. Shizuka could treat him like absolute mud and he would put up with it because he sees something in her that no one else apparently does."

"B-but Meizu! He hates her!"

"Exactly."

"W-what!?"

"Hate breeds passion and not always in the romantic sense. Meizu is young. He knows that there is a person his brother likes—in his mind, loves—more than him and he knows he doesn't like it. He sees Shizuka as a block to his brother's affection and he lashes out at her whenever he can. He challenges her to prove that he's superior but he always falls short. He won't stop challenging her until he proves himself."

Kasumi's lips twitched, like she wanted to smile but couldn't. "Shizuka knows it. She feeds his anger towards her on purpose. Because it's funny to her, because she knows she can manipulate him to do things through his loathing—who knows? Shizuka knows, though. She knows she can use them."

"She's the chain that keeps them together." Kasumi paused. "I knew I couldn't keep them here. Where she goes, they'll follow. If I couldn't convince Shizuka to stay, then I knew there was no chance for the other two to stay either."

"B-b-but...they'll die."

"Nanami, I thought I taught you the cycle of life." Her laugh was still bitter as she turned back around. "Things are born. They live. They—"

"—die." The blue-haired woman finished automatically, mechanically.

Nanami felt a little numb. She had always felt as if she was the only person to notice that Shizuka was abnormal and, now that she wasn't the only one any longer, things felt a little surreal to her. She knew Shizuka had ways of getting what she wanted but, for a five year old girl to be able to plot and manipulate as if it were second-nature was something she didn't want to think about. It solidified Nanami's feelings towards Shizuka.

And it solidified her reasons for never setting foot outside the orphanage.

Their leaders were corrupt. Their protectors were more than likely to kill them, the people they were supposed to keep safe. Their denizens hated each other and were divided. Their children were dying in their own home in front of their own eyes.

The Land of Water was filled with wolves eating each other.

And no one was stopping it.

...

Nanami didn't want to see it.

**~{IV}~**

The trip from the orphanage had taken about two days as we were going at what the orange-haired shinobi called "civvie speed" and I wondered why the hell didn't we just teleport to Kirigakure. Being the person that I am, I asked, only to get a smirk in return and some words about "early endurance training" or something like that. Surprisingly, I could go quite a bit before growing tired—it must've had something to do with all that meditation and stretching I did before—and it didn't take all that long for me to regain my breath and continue. Meizu did well in keeping up as he had engaged in some kind of one-sided race with me and Gōzu did his best also, so as not to look bad compared to his younger brother and a girl.

When we finally reached Kiri, we went straight to the Administration building to fill out a few forms, confirm our practically non-existent identities and sort out living arrangements. We didn't get to meet the Mizukage in person but I figured that three orphans who had the high probability of dying in the next few years weren't of much concern to him and I shrugged it off.

Instead of going to our new homes like I suspected, the orange-haired shinobi lead us to a building not too far from the Administration place that I figured was the Academy. It looked like a school but it certainly didn't feel like one. There was a sense of coldness that it exuded and I had to suppress the chill that ran down my spine as we entered its doors.

"Why are we here?" I questioned.

"Because evaluations." The shinobi responded shortly, his tone dictating that no more questions were to be asked.

He stopped briefly the reception desk, speaking in a hushed tone to the woman behind it. I could feel her gaze on us as we trailed up the two flights of stairs and into a hallway. We stopped at a door that had a piece of paper taped to it that read, "Testing."

"Evaluations for class placements." The orange-haired shinobi said as he jabbed a thumb towards the door. "'Cause you're orphans, they were just gonna stick you in Class C but Jūzō-sama pulled some strings for you to get a fair testing."

"Why wouldn't they test us in tha first place!?" Meizu fumed, his hands clenching into fists. "We ain't stupid!"

"Meizu, it's... Well, most orphans aren't able to read or write very well so..." Gōzu shrugged but, by the look on his face, he didn't appreciate bias any more than his brother did. "I guess they thought we couldn't either..."

"Doesn't matter what they thought. Gōzu, you're first. Go in." The orange-haired shinobi ordered as he turned his head towards us. "You two. Sit down and don't make a noise."

We obeyed without a question.

It was weird, too. The way that we just obeyed this unimpressive-looking man without a question. I felt irritated that my body just reacted like that but I had the feeling that if I disobeyed, he would make sure to give me a painful reminder of why it was a good idea to do as he says.

Time passed slowly as we sat in silence and Gōzu didn't exit the room until a good forty-five minutes later. By then, Meizu was dozing off and I was plaiting one of my bangs into a braid. I noticed that his face was red and his chest was heaving a bit as he plopped down next to me. I didn't say anything, though, as that orange-haired shinobi was giving me a certain look that made me want to fidget in my spot.

After making sure that I would remain silent, he kicked Meizu sharply, jolting the boy up. "Meizu. Get up. You're next."

Meizu grumbled under his breath as he rubbed his side and entered the room. The same happened once more, this time with Gōzu falling asleep on my shoulder and with myself watching a fly get caught in a stray spider web. I grew tired of that within the span of a few minutes but, luckily, Meizu emerged from the room, in a state similar to his brother's. Knowing it was my turn next, I gently shrugged Gōzu from my shoulder and stood, not waiting for the orange-haired shinobi's order as I entered the testing area.

I could feel their judging stares on me before I could completely enter the room.

There were three men, all of varying ages. One was an old man with wispy, stark white hair and a thick beard. Another was a middle-aged man with slicked back hair, a neat goatee and an eye patch over his left eye and the last was a young man with long black hair and brown eyes. All three were clad in Kiri's uniform and all three had matching frowns on their faces as they scrutinized my form.

"Name?" The old man rasped out as he glanced down at a piece of paper in front of him.

"Shizuka."

"...As in perfume or summer?"

I tilted my head to the side, slightly stumped as I tried to decipher his question. Then, I realized he meant my name. I moved to shrug my shoulders but I would look like a damn fool if I didn't know my own name, which I sort of didn't since it was never specified what kanji I would use for it. I'd been going back and forth between using the kanji for perfume and summer for the longest and I think I signed that sheet Jūzō-san gave me with the former.

"As in perfume?" I tried to flatten the end to make it sound more like a statement and less like a question but I had a feeling that I failed.

Eye patch coughed but it sounded vaguely like a laugh. "So, you..._don't_ know how your own name is spelled?"

"Yes." I tried to keep the irritated blush off my face. "I know how to spell my name."

"Really now?" He looked unconvinced.

"_Yes_."

He watched me, searching for something, before he waved his hand lazily. "Fine then. Let's get this over with."

Then, we started.

The Academy's evaluation was very much like the tests I could vaguely recall having to take when I'd signed up for college. It was designed to highlight your strengths and weaknesses so that you could be in the class appropriate for your current knowledge and abilities. I was a bit surprised by the similarities but I wasn't really shocked by the things they tested me on. Honestly, I think the ones who were surprised were the individuals testing me when they realized I knew a large majority of the material.

I will admit that I didn't look the most impressive: a short, five year old girl with too-bright hair and murky eyes and secondhand clothes wasn't anything compared to what they were probably used to but, just because I didn't have the fortune of being born with the privilege of belonging to a clan, didn't mean I was an uneducated, pitiable brat.

The very thought was offensive.

So, I got a bit of smug glee when I correctly answered all their questions on the core subjects: mathematics, reading and comprehension, writing, science, geography and, my favorite, history. The questions ranged from things like simple addition to naming all of Water Country's owned provinces. Then, after that, it was onto the things that were unique to this world: the shinobi arts.

The conceited confidence I had displayed at first ebbed into dismal unsureness.

Jūzō-san hadn't exactly trained us but he did show us the basic taijutsu stances, how to form the twelve basic hand seals and how to notice if we were caught in a genjutsu; he'd even showed us the hand seals for the E-ranked academy jutsu..._but he didn't show us how to use our chakra_! He'd been visiting us for the past two years yet he didn't even have the decency to teach us how to manipulate chakra!

Never in my life had I cursed a person more than I had cursed Jūzō Biwa when I stood there, futilely trying to suppress the blush of frustration as the three shinobi stared at me blank expressions. My hands trembled as I ran through the seals for the clone justu again and again but to no avail. I had the urge to gnash my teeth together but, due to them fitting together so perfectly, I had to settle with gnawing on my bottom lip, even after I'd broken the skin and bled.

Brown-eyes scoffed while flicking a strand of hair from his face. "I see there are some things you aren't capable of." He shook his head while leaning back in his seat. "To think that this is what Jūzō-sama picked personally..." He sighed theatrically. "It's to be expected, though. There really isn't much hope for from children like you."

I felt my blood beginning to boil. How dare he insult me like that! I'd show him, though!

_I'd show them all_!

I forced my fingers through the proper hand seals, ignoring the pricks of numbness that were threatening to overtake my hands. It could not be that hard to use chakra! It just _couldn't_ be!

"Little girl. I think you should stop." There was warning in Beard's tone but I ignored it because I would _prove them wrong_!

Jūzō-san said I had the potential to use chakra. He said I had more in me than normal. I knew chakra was the combination of physical and spiritual energy within one's body. I knew that one needed to channel chakra to their chakra points to be able to perform jutsu. I knew that hand seals were used to aid in manipulating chakra. I knew the hand seal sequence for the three E-ranked jutsu.

I had the information, I just needed to apply and execute.

But how?

My eyes squeezed closed as I stubbornly blocked out the words of the three shinobi and continued to repeatedly perform the clone jutsu seals.

It couldn't be that hard!

...

I just had to focus!

Concentrate!

(I felt warm—)

Concentrate!

(Getting warmer—)

Concentrate!

(Hotter—)

Concentrate!

(Like I was burning alive—)

And push...!

"Clone jutsu!" I blurted out.

...

There was a pregnant pause.

Then, a _'poof.'_

I cracked open an eye.

Right there, next to my feet, was a lump that was too deformed to be called a proper clone. It was hideous and offensive to the eyes but it was there and I had done it. I had actually used chakra! I didn't even fight down the triumphant grin at my accomplishment nor did I bother hiding the fact that I had tired myself out trying to attempt that feat.

"Hmph. It looks like you aren't completely hopeless." Brown eyes muttered as he eyed my panting form. "Color me impressed."

Eye patch snorted while Beard grumbled something illegible before saying, "Shows some adequacy at molding...but needs some immediate lessons in discipline..."

I didn't respond. I was too busy coming down from the high of using chakra for the first time. It was...hard to explain how it truly felt. My whole body was tingling, shivering and it felt like my veins were filling with molten hot lava but it didn't hurt—it felt right, felt good. Like I could overcome anything that stood in my way. I rubbed my arms, noticing the goose bumps breaking out all over my skin and I wondered if everyone reacted in this manner when using chakra for the very first time.

...

If using chakra meant feeling this way constantly, then I would enjoy using it each and every time.

**~{IV}~**

"Here's your place, kid." The orange-haired shinobi said as he dropped a key into my palm. "Don't lose that 'cause you're not getting a replacement for it."

I grunted out a noise as I took in the small apartment. It was simply one room with a bed, a kitchenette, a small table and a small sitting area with a tiny bathroom equipped with a shower, toilet and sink. It wasn't luxurious in the least, was in the slum district of the village and it resembled a ratty, low-end hotel room more than anything but it was mine and I was flabbergasted that Kirigakure was even generous enough to provide a private living quarters to a five year old orphan.

...But, then again, it isn't as if Kirigakure has had a large influx of orphans joining the Academy in the past couple of years.

"All right, kid. I'm through here." The shinobi droned out. "If you have any questions, talk to your landlord or go to the Administration building. Got that?"

"I still don't know your name." I muttered, eyes watching the man warily from beneath my lids. I smiled innocently—or as innocently as my teeth allowed—at the way his jaw clenched. "Hear you loud and clear, sir."

"Hmph." His lips twitched as if he wanted to say something. Instead, he just shook his head and pivoted on his heel. "Learn some manners, brat. See ya. Or not."

I grunted once more as I dropped my bag on the floor and closed the door behind the retreating man. I let out a heavy sigh as I secured the locks. I was tired, hungry and in need of a hot shower.

The twins lived in separate apartments but I was sure Gōzu would probably stay over Meizu's more often than not to make sure he didn't starve to death or burn himself alive trying to boil water. I, on the other hand, lived in a different section than they and I was pretty relieved at that. I liked my privacy, hadn't had it for the past five years and I craved it. I had been forced to become accustomed to sharing when, in all actuality, I wanted things all to myself and I would be glad when I'd be able to get my own things.

Unfortunately, that probably wouldn't be for a long while.

The thing is this: Kirigakure's orphan fund was almost completely dry. The economy wasn't that great to begin with—a measly two out of five stars—and, with the current Mizukage's reign, it seemed liked what little money the village managed to scrape together went straight into funding whatever war he deemed to be more important than his people. And, as I briefly mentioned before, it's not like there have been orphans joining the Academy lately so the orphan fund supposedly had quite a bit saved up these past years. As expected, the village used a majority of it for the war, leaving only enough for our rent and utilities to be paid for the duration of our schooling.

Makes me shake my head.

If there's a war to be fought, then it was up to Kirigakure to charge in and join the fray, regardless of casualties, the potential enemies to be made or the strain it put on the village's pockets.

...

Oh. I forgot to mention that, didn't I?

Yeah, Kirigakure was in the middle of a conflict with one of those outlaying territories that didn't exist in the anime/manga series. Go figure, right?

(It was amazing what you could find out be eavesdropping on a few women talking in the streets.)

I couldn't be certain of the severity of it but I was sure that the shinobi with kekkei genkai were getting deployed due to their superior, genetic talents. In a way, having a kekkei genkai was both a blessing and a curse—I was glad I didn't have one (at least, I hoped I didn't). Anyways, I was sure that the need for troops wasn't dire enough to lower the graduation age (I hoped that was true; I remember something of another war). Besides, there was also the existence of a certain graduation requirement that killed off a steep number of potential troops before they even set foot on the battlefield.

It was a mistake on the current Mizukage's part—Yagura, I think his name was. It's been a few days since I've checked over my notes but I knew there was something about him...

I rifled through my bag, tossing things out before getting my hands on what I was looking for a certain notebook. I huffed in triumph as I found the collection of notes, grimacing at the yellowing pages as I flipped it open. It was dossier of sorts with a basic outline of some of the characters I could remember. I skipped through many pages as they were mostly Konoha ninja before I managed to locate a page labeled, "_Yagura_."

It didn't list anything extensive, just his name, his occupation and important notes about him. My eyebrows furrowed at the disturbing lack of content but then I remembered that it wasn't because of my memories. Despite my three year stagnation, I was surprised about the amount of things my head managed to keep stored when I had attempted to remember. The lack of info was not my fault—it was due to a lack of elaboration and explanation from the manga series. Hell, it wasn't just Kirigakure, either—if you were a hidden village and you weren't Konoha, odds were that there wasn't much for me to list in my dossier and that crippled me greatly when you took it account that I wasn't in Konoha.

I ran a hand through my long bangs and let out a heavy sigh as I scanned over what I did have. Yagura was the fourth Mizukage, coming into power at an unspecified time. He was the container of one the tailed beasts—the three-tailed bijū named Isobu—which was sealed into him an unspecified time. During his reign, he started the whole graduation bloodbath. He was being controlled by individuals from the Uchiha clan, Madara and Obito.

All right, not much but, at least, I had a reason as to why he was doing the dumbass things he was doing: it wasn't him—it was someone controlling him. Some assholes from the Uchiha clan according to my notes and it made me roll my eyes in exasperation. Of course, they'd choose the little island off the coast that I managed to get re-spawned into to conduct their malicious schemes.

Great.

I didn't really have the time to worry about it; I had to figure out how in the hell I was going to be able to afford supplies for the Academy and living, in general. Luckily, Academy classes didn't start for another few weeks due to preparations but I did have mandatory kunoichi classes that started in the morning and I wasn't quite sure what to expect from those; it was probably just the ninja world version of Home Ec.

I shook off the thoughts, deciding it was best to get a shower and get some rest for class in the morning. After that, it was all about trying to find a steady income. I mean, even though the orphan fund payed for my living arrangements and the Academy's tuition, I was still responsible for everything else.

...

I hoped child labor laws weren't in effect in this world, as terrible as that sounds.

**~{IV}~**

He rubbed his eyes roughly, trying to blink away the haze of sleep that obscured his vision. His head hurt—from what exactly, he wasn't sure. He stared down at the papers on his desk, not quite comprehending the text on the paper until he blinked owlishly and squinted.

Letters, proposals, strategies, appointments—things that made the throbbing in his head grow ever larger. He had known what the title of Mizukage had entailed, had watched his predecessor suffer through the same thing but, still, it did not prepare him for the mountains of paper work he had to sign and sift through each day. From morning 'til noon 'til evening, he had the honor of going through the same routine every single day.

He grumbled something incoherent as he scanned over a document. It was petition to stop the graduation exam. Most of the signatures were of civilian-shinobi clans but he could see a few names that made him read over it a few times before placing it down. Deep in his mind, he realized that perhaps it wasn't the best way to go; having the graduates kill each other would lower available troop numbers and lower the village's morale.

Above all, he wanted his people to trust him, not fear him.

"Kurosawa, do you believe this the best course of action?" He inquired softly. "I feel that perhaps this graduation exam won't be as productive as I had once thought."

(He wanted to correct the mistakes of the past, not continue to make them.)

The man smiled, sharp teeth gleaming in his office's light as he stepped forward. "Mizukage-sama, it may seem counter-intuitive right now but, with this system, we'll be able to produce competent and obedient shinobi with less effort."

He hid the grimace he wanted to make in response to the man's words. "But, numbers will be low..."

"Quality is much more important than quantity, Mizukage-sama." Kurosawa smiled.

Yagura searched his brain for another excuse. His eyes wandered down to the parchment on his desk. "I fear the civilian parents will begin to revolt." He snatched up the paper, waving it slightly. "Look, they've already sent in protests. I know they're being quiet and reasonable so far but—"

Kurosawa chuckled as if he'd just told a joke. "Civilians, Mizukage-sama? Civilians have no say-so when it concerns shinobi business." He waved a bony hand. "Besides, the families are well aware of the risks involved in letting their child attend the Academy, Mizukage-sama." Kurosawa's smile grew a bit wider. "And, anyways, it's best to get rid of the undesirables before they stain the name of Kirigakure on the field."

He could agree with that. Kirigakure didn't reach where it was today with weak soldiers but, at the same time, the Honorable First Mizukage had had both power and loyalty supporting him. He could understand wanting to utilize only those with outstanding potential but what of all the talent they were squandering away? Was it really a wise idea? Each failing student could possibly enter the Genin Corps or enlist tutelage under a mentor for a craft if the path of shinobi wasn't meant for them—anything other than wasting possible potential and laborers.

"Well," He paused as he tried to find a way to word his thoughts, "instead of death matches between the students, we could organize a relay though swampland and—" He frowned deeply as he watched his adviser shake his head. "What is it, Kurosawa?"

The tall, lanky man tsked softly, his lips curved down into a frown. "I realize your reluctance, Mizukage-sama, but this is all for the greater good. Think of it like this: if they actually had the will to live, they would have survived, yes?"

"Well..."

"And, with this system, our genin will have already experienced their first human kill, thus eliminating hesitance on the battlefield. Also, with less genin vying for mentors, we'll have more specialized ninja."

"Yes but—"

"Remember that first trial? That Hoshigaki boy did such an outstanding performance that Fuguki-sama has his eyes on him. And that Terumī girl is developing into a fine kunoichi with those kekkei genkai of hers." He grinned. "And we've had nothing but success after success since then."

"But—"

"Mizukage-sama. The stakes may seem high but I assure you that the end justifies the means." Kurosawa's mouth curled down as he averted his gaze. "If I may be so bold, Mizukage-sama, this reluctance you're displaying is making you appear...weak."

His body tensed, his shoulders squaring and his head snapping up. Despite himself, he felt a trickle of Killing Instinct leak from his body. "What?"

The adviser jolted back, his hands raising in a placating manner. "N-now, I m-meant no harm, Mizukage-sama! It's just...seeing you second-guess your own commands is... It's bad for morale. If you are not confident in your own law, then how can you expect your followers to be?"

That...made sense, actually. It made a lot of sense. Showing regret was a sign of weakness and he was not weak. He was the Mizukage and what he ordered was law. His predecessors had not shown weakness and indecisiveness—they had commanded Kirigakure with an iron fist and it had thrived. He would not go down in history as Kirigakure's soft-hearted, feeble leader that led to the village's eventual demise.

(_Weak_. That word made something _dark_ cloud his thoughts and—)

His lips turned up into a small smirk."...Yes, it seem you're right, Kurosawa. If I'm to be a proper Mizukage, I need not question my own decisions. " He eyed the petition on his desk in disdain. "I do not need men who question my methods, I only require those who follow without a qualm."

"Exactly, Mizukage-sama."

He stared down at the paper on his desk for a few lingering seconds before placing the document in the "rejected" pile. He nodded his head slightly, eyes unfocusing as he retreated into his own thoughts.

Yes...

A Mizukage had to strong.

They had to be sure, confident, commanding, dominating.

They had to be willing to sacrifice for the greater good.

They had no use for disobedient troops.

They had no use for the weak.

But...

...

..

.

(Why did it feel as if...those feelings weren't that of his own...?)

...

..

.

...

..

.

He missed the crimson gleam in Kurosawa's eyes—

* * *

**.**

* * *

**Trivia about the MC: **Shizuka's blood type is AB.

If you didn't know, in East Asian culture, blood type is, in a way, the equivalent to the West's astrological signs as they are used to determine a person's personality traits to some extent. Blood type AB is generally seen as the worst and is the most discriminated as they are perceived to be "loose cannons"—odd, unpredictable, eccentric and unworried of what others may think of them.

* * *

**Edited: 27/03/2015 - Changed the format a little. Added some stuff here-and-there but, mostly, to Yagura's point of view.**


	5. DROP V - A Glint of Darkness

**Disclaimer: _Naruto _© Masashi Kishimoto. The only things I own are my OCs and I gain nothing from writing it besides the pleasure.**

* * *

**Warnings:** Language.

* * *

**. Scarlet Waters – Chapter Five – A Glint of Darkness.**

* * *

Kirigakure in the early morning wasn't the most pleasant.

Or maybe it was just in the particular part that I lived in.

I rubbed away the mist and sleep matter that clung to my eyelashes as a loud, unladylike yawn burst forth from my mouth. I had gone to sleep early but I hadn't really gotten much rest. Somehow, I had come to live next door to a drunkard who spent the _entire_ night vomiting up his insides and complaining about how life had screwed him over.

...Also, using chakra for the first time _wasn't _all shits-and-giggles. After the initial euphoric sensation wore off, a burning sensation set in and kept me tossing and turning. If I had to choose words to describe it, I would say that I felt _raw_ and _tender_.

(_No_, I was _not_ making a meat joke.)

All in all, I was grumpy, tired, in pain—and hungry as well, as my stomach thought it prudent to growl loudly and clench painfully just at that moment. I belatedly realized that I hadn't eaten anything since yesterday, during our journey to Kiri where we ate rations. I berated myself for being too eager to leave the orphanage and not grabbing a few snacks to take with me.

(I mentally noted that, the next time I was pissed off with someone, I would take as much of their shit as possible.)

So, I had a bit of a dilemma: I was hungry but without money to actually buy anything.

What were my choices?

Four immediately came to mind: wait until after class to find some work, run a few quick errands before class, steal something or become a temporary beggar.

My stomach quickly made its protests about the first option known—I couldn't wait too much longer before I began to have trouble focusing and I needed all my wits about me. Waiting until after classes was a no-go.

And I would _never _be caught dead as a beggar. There was no way in _hell_ that I would discard all my pride and dignity to beg on the sides of the street—there was just _no _way. I would rather _die_ _again_ than beg for food. The very thought of it made me _gag_!

Nope.

Uh-uh.

Not doing it.

_No_.

I was left with my last two options: running errands and stealing.

Now, had I been in a different world, theft would have never crossed my mind as quickly as it had in this world. However, considering that stealing was in a ninja's job description and I was to begin training as one soon, I figured that it wasn't that big of deal.

Besides, what was that saying? Oh. _It's not considered stealing unless you're caught._

But... I didn't quite have the dexterity to swipe something without getting spotted and I was sure I wouldn't be able to outrun anyone with my short legs. The idea of starting my criminal record so soon in my second life wasn't an appealing one. It was probably best that I leave that option as a last resort.

So, I was left with running some errands for some random person.

I wasn't sure how the etiquette of asking to do something for another person worked. Did I just walk up and offer my services? Or did I somehow make myself look available to help out a passer-by?

(Why did both of those sound terribly naughty to my ears?)

A slow creaking noise followed by a series of wheezing coughs caused my head to whip around towards the door of my neighbor, the drunkard. He was clinging onto his door frame, body leaned over as if he wanted to be ready for when he'd inevitably barf up all his insides. His hair was greasy, his face was disgustingly blotchy, he was sweating rather profusely and he smelled like someone dipped him a canister of onions and sulfur before letting an army of dogs poop all over his body.

"H-hey, k-kid. You free now...?" He slurred out whilst gesturing me over with his hand. "C'mere..fer a...fer a second."

...

Oh dear kami.

Why did this waste of life have to be _my _neighbor? I mean, why did it have to be _me_ that had to deal with this first thing in the morning? My stomach twinged, though, and I realized that this might be the chance that I hadn't even fully begun looking for.

His head bobbed, as if he were about to go to sleep while standing, before it jerked up again. "I said _c'mere, _dammit_!_"

I grimaced—I couldn't help it with that _stench_ exuding from him—and tentatively took a few steps towards his outstretched arm. I narrowly dodged his attempt at touching me and stared at him somewhat dubiously as I tried to comprehend the unintelligible words that fell from his lips. He then broke into another storm of coughs.

This guy was beginning to piss me off and I wasn't sure if it was because the hunger was getting to me or if I was just an impatient person.

(It was probably a combination.)

Mentally, I slowly counted to ten as I glared at the man who sounded like he was coughing up his lungs. I managed to plaster a close-lipped smile on my face before pleasantly asking, "What did you need from me, sir? I'm in a bit of a rush..."

His coughing died down moments later and he blinked down at me blearily. "W-whazzat? W-wha— Huh? Whatchu want, kid?"

"_You_ called me over for something, you useless sack of—" I cut myself off quickly when his eyes narrowed and his mouth parted. "Is there something you want me to get you, sir? I can run a few errands for you if you want."

Add in a sweet smile (with no teeth) just as a finisher and...

"H-huh? Oh. Yeah." He scratched his head absently as he dug into his back pocket. "Here... Go to tha store fer me an' pick up some...antacid, some, uh...uh, tomato juice...some, uh, celery." He paused. "And some more booze, too. Yeah. Y-yeah. Yeah, dat too."

My expression turned flat as he dropped a wad of bills into my hands. "Sir... How exactly do you expect me to buy you..._booze_ when I'm under aged?"

He blinked uncomprehendingly before looking me up and down, as if he hadn't noticed until just then that I had the body of a little girl.

What an absolute imbecile! If you have to drink so much that you're asking a small, unknown child to buy _more_ alcohol for your addiction, then you seriously needed to re-evaluate your priorities _and_ your life. It was disgusting, really, and I found myself not having even a shred of sympathy for the man.

Why should I? Here I am, practically _starving_ with no money to my name and _this_ ass was blowing all his money on liver-disease-in-a-bottle!

"U-uhm... Huh." He scratched his head again. "Okay." He licked his lips. "Okay. I need you to...go to tha store fer me an' pick up some...antacid, some, uh...uh, toma—"

"_Fine_!" I snapped, cutting him off before he could completely reiterate his stupid shopping list. "I'll get what you want and bring it back later."

The drunkard mumbled while nodding as he slipped back into his apartment, where I heard a loud '_THUMP'_ shortly after. I scoffed, shaking my head as I trailed down the steps leading from our apartment floor before entering the main street of the slum district.

Anyway, as I've said earlier, Kirigakure in the early morning wasn't the most pleasant but it was most likely the part that I lived in.

The scenery was droll, grey and rustic. The grand buildings with lush, green gardens on their tops could only be seen vaguely in the distance, their outlines obscured by the morning mist. Few people were in the streets, most were either sweeping in front of their residence or taking out their trash. There were no friendly greetings or warm smiles, only suspicious glances or blatant ignorance of my presence.

Considering where I was, it wasn't surprising in the least.

It was Kirigakure.

That _alone_ spoke volumes.

But, it wasn't just Kirigakure, it was the Land of Water as a whole.

It was a hellhole.

The land was wracked with constant turmoil, both within and outside its borders. The leaders were incompetent and cared more about proving their military might than caring for their people. Damn near every shinobi was psychopathic, greedy and most likely only a ninja because it was convenient and allowed them to get away with whatever they wanted. The civilians were paranoid, fearful, hateful and scorned each other for genetic traits that couldn't be helped.

I couldn't even think of anything good to say about the Land of Water; this country was _that_ bad.

Hell, even the "big baddies" of the series knew it was a dump; that's why they carried out all of their dubious business here. _Everyone_ knew the Land of Water was an acidic pit of darkness where only the crazies resided.

That was the general consensus and it wasn't too far off from the truth.

I had said earlier that I'd rather be anywhere other than Konoha but...why couldn't it have been Kumo or Iwa? They both had their problems but surely they couldn't be as bad as Water Country.

_Nowhere _was as bad Water Country...

But, what did it matter? There was no use crying over spilt milk.

The cosmic beings that be plopped me down in shitty Water Country, probably laughing and jeering as they waited for this life to screw me over. Here I was thinking they saw me as a sort of diamond in the rough when they merely were using me for sport! They were waiting for me to die _again_ so they could take my suffering soul, stuff it into a new body in an even _worse_ world and wait for the same outcome to occur again.

And _again_.

And _again_.

I would be stuck in a cycle of death and reincarnation for all eternity until the deities grew tired of seeing me squirm. They'd grow bored of me, find a new plaything to torture and toss me away and, then, the rest of my inconsequential existence would be spent in a void of black, agonizing oblivion.

...

_GRAawaWaaAAAA!_

My cheeks flushed slightly as I pressed a hand to muffle my stomach's loud gripes and grumbles.

Why was I even thinking about such random things like that? Hunger was making me loose focus and letting my mind drift to weird things.

Damn it, I needed to find something to eat.

And quickly.

**~{V}~**

I ended up at some café.

Wait, coffeehouse.

No, tea house.

All of them? I don't know.

I'd never been to a genuine tea house in Japan but, from my various anime and manga, I always assumed that's where they held tea ceremonies. They were supposed to be _traditional _with tatami floors, shōji doors, courtesans, imperial lords and huge amounts of tea.

This place wasn't like that.

It was a small thing, tucked away between some stores I didn't bother catching the name of. The only reason I even noticed it was because my food-depraved state gave me a heightened sense of smell, allowing me to pick up on the scent of freshly cooked food. The floors were wooden, slightly chipped and the wallpaper was a faded white that was peeling near the ceiling.

The presumed owner was a rotund woman wearing such heavy makeup that she looked like a harlequin. She looked at me weirdly, nervously as I sat down at one of the rickety tables near the back of the place. The woman looked like she wanted to say something to me and her eyes kept shifting between me and the entrance, as if trying to wordlessly lure me away from her establishment.

I was having none of it.

I arched an eyebrow, lips pulling into a frown as I gestured her over. She gulped, adjusted the neckline of her dress and reluctantly made her way over to my side.

Her lips were pulled into a strained smile as she pulled out her notepad. "W-what can I do for you today?"

"Give me the cheapest breakfast you have." I ordered flatly, discreetly holding my stomach to stop its embarrassing noises.

The woman's lips pursed, her eyes narrowing at my admittedly rude tone of voice. "Maybe...you should go somewhere else." She gave me a close-eyed smile as she tapped a painted fingernail on the table. "There's this even _cheaper_ place near Market Street an—"

"I don't think you heard me, ma'am." I said pleasantly, tilting my head slightly while smiling sweetly. "I said for you to get me the cheapest breakfast that you had, _not_ directions to some other place that I don't have the patience to find." My eye twitched violently as jagged teeth peeked out from behind my lips. "I _won't_ say it another time."

She stared at me, obviously appalled by my lack of manners but I didn't care—I was damn _hungry_, my head was beginning to pound and I could feel my already stretched patience wearing completely thin. After a fierce stare-off, the presumed proprietor of the café/coffeehouse/tea house place turned away with a loud huff before disappearing into the back, most likely to make my food.

(Better be.)

I leaned back into the uncomfortable chair as I waited, impatiently kicking my short legs and rubbing away the abrupt chill that had entered my body. A scowl marred my face as I hastily rubbed away the goosebumps that surfaced, ignoring the way my body tingled in favor of ravenously staring down the plate of food the woman, more or less, _dropped _down in front of me.

"There. Enjoy." She said dryly as she walked back to her previous place at the front of the store.

It was no wonder I was her sole customer: the bitch didn't have any manners.

I grumbled a number of explicits under my breath before the heavenly smell emanating from my meal coaxed me into forgetting all my previous thoughts. Surprisingly, it was a meal that I wasn't expecting: a plate of sunny-side up eggs, toast and a cup of..._green tea_?

I shrugged, not caring whatsoever as I dug in with relish.

...

It was good.

Like..._really, really_ good.

Either that or my body had been depraved of food for so long that it didn't care _how_ it tasted. I covered my mouth to muffle the moans of bliss because I wasn't going to let that...that _cow_ have the satisfaction of knowing I was enjoying her meal. I rubbed my arm again as my eyes narrowed and I scowled.

Damn that woman for trying to make me go somewhere else.

Who did she think she was!?

Was my money not _good_ enough for her shit!?

I could feel my eye twitching as my ire rose and my body shivered as chills traveled down my spine once again. What the hell was wrong with me? Did I get chills when I was irritated or angry? Or was it my chakra or something?

I _was_ beginning to feel..._unsettled_ by something...

...

What was it though?

"G-good morning, Shīna-san! How are you this fine day today?"

"...Fine."

I glanced up, slightly curious about the newcomer. The first thing I noticed about her was her hair: it was stark white, like freshly fallen snow, as cheesy as that sounded. The next thing I noticed was the gleam of metal across her forehead and I immediately knew she was a shinobi—or a kunoichi, for those concerned about proper gender titles. The last thing I noticed about her was this..._feeling _that I got from her.

Another chill wracked my body as I quickly looked back down at my plate.

...There was..._something_ about that woman that made me feel...

"What're you having today?"

"...The usual."

"R-right away! Take a seat anywhere!"

I chanced another glance up as the proprietor whisked past me, watching from beneath my lashes as the kunoichi—Shīna, she was called—unfortunately sat down at a table near the entrance. I would inevitably have to pass by her when leaving, which was something I wasn't looking forward to at all.

...But why?

Her eyes snapped up, our gazes meeting for the briefest of seconds before my eyes darted back down to my plate. Heat surged into my cheeks as I began to quickly stuff the rest of my food into my mouth, trying desperately not to draw any more attention to myself.

It wasn't that I was..._scared_ of her or anything. It couldn't be that because I wasn't afraid of _anything_. After you've died once, you've basically reached a pinnacle that couldn't be matched by insignificant people who've only experienced _one_ life! I was above them and I was above anything they could possibly throw at me.

But...

There was just something about her that made my hair stand on end and my body to break out in goosebumps. It also didn't help that I was still recovering from forcefully expelling chakra yesterday.

Was it...her _aura_, maybe?

No, her _chakra_? Was that what it was? ...I think the word _aura_ could be used interchangeably with _chakra_. Hm, I was somehow sensing her chakra. I hadn't felt anyone else's chakra before, neither my repulsive neighbor's nor anyone's that I'd passed by on my way over here. Was I detecting Shīna's chakra because of our (too) close proximity?

Had it been under different circumstances, I would've been amazed about this new discovery and eager to research and experiment but, right now, the only thing I could think about was getting away from the kunoichi with the _foul_ chakra and hopefully never having to encounter her ever again.

A silent sigh of relief escaped my lips once the owner swept past me, carrying a tray full of food. My small fists banged on the table crudely just as she placed down the platter, alerting her that I was ready to receive my bill. Her lips turned down in indignation but she approached me regardless, her hands digging into her apron pockets to pull out a small notebook.

"I'm finished." I smiled sweetly. "May I have my bill now?"

The woman's lips pursed but she quickly jotted down my due amount. "Here." She said flatly whilst slapping the paper down on the table. "Hope you enjoyed your meal." The insincerity of that statement was quite evident.

I giggled softly, using a hand to delicately cover my mouth before counting out the proper amount and placing it on the table. My smile relaxed into something like a lazy smirk as I adjusted my sash and smoothed down my hair. "Thanks for the food. It was adequate, I guess. I might even come back around some other time."

"_Adequate_!? Why you ungrateful little—! Don't even bother coming back here!" She spat out but I merely brushed past her, completely ignoring her useless insults in favor of making my great escape.

Now, all I had to do was make it past Shīna without making eye contact or alerting her of my presence as I passed by. Perhaps, if I held my breath, I would be able to turn invisible for a few short seconds...?

As I drew closer to her, that repugnant chakra of hers seemed to waft out towards me, teasingly snaking around me but not actually touching me. My hands spasmed beneath my long sleeves as I fought to keep my expression neutral, my gaze straight and my steps calm.

_Closer._

(Don't look at me—)

_Next to her table._

(Keep eating—)

_Passing by her._

(Don't say anything—)

I stopped.

...

_Shit._

Her hand was freezing cold. I could feel it, even through the thick, knitted material of my sweater. My heart was thumping loudly in my ears, the oppressiveness of her chakra bearing down on me fully, taking every last shred of control I had not to struggle violently against the kunoichi's iron grip. My eyes traveled down to her hand, taking in the turquoise-painted fingernails, before traveling up to her dark eyes.

I mentally counted to ten, steeling myself and attempting to calm down, before speaking, "What...do you want?"

She didn't respond right then, instead taking time to blink widely at me. I quickly looked away, training my eyes on the owner's face. She watched with a mixture of smugness and..._pity_? I gnawed on my bottom lip as another chill danced over my spine. Her hold shifted slightly and I felt her piercing stare leave my face. It was a relief but it did very little when I was trying my hardest to somehow ignore her smothering chakra—I felt close to gagging.

"You...are..." She paused as she took a sip of her drink. "...You are one of Jūzō-sama's...students, no?"

My face morphed into one akin to revulsion at the swordsman's name. I was still pretty pissed off at him for his neglect in properly teaching me how to use chakra. "No. I'm _not_ one of his students." My brows furrowed in agitation. "Can I go now? I have places to be."

"So rude and...so eager to leave..." She took another pause. "...Do I...frighten you so, child?" Her head tilted minutely. "Or...is it...something else?"

That shocked a laugh from me. _Frightened_? Please, there was nothing I was afraid of. Haven't I already explained that? I found myself smirking, the dark chakra quivering around my form momentarily forgotten in favor of asserting my fearlessness.

"You don't scare me." I jabbed my thumb towards my chest. "Shizuka is afraid of _no_ man or woman." My smirk turned condescending. "Is that all you wanted? As I said, I have places to be."

Her head tilted back slowly as her heavy-lidded eyes regarded me silently. An unknown emotion gleamed in their depths and the confidence I felt seconds ago rapidly drained, leaving only the discomfort her vile chakra evoked in its wake. Her freezing hand abruptly let go of my arm. I frowned deeply as I tried to shake off the burning sensation I felt.

"...You are not afraid..." Her eyes closed as she breathed out, "...You will learn..."

I scoffed as my eyes narrowed at the kunoichi, Shīna. I wanted to say something scathing but her chakra _jumped_ violently, forcing a sharp yelp from my mouth. With heated cheeks, I quickly scurried from the café/coffeehouse/tea house, eager to get to kunoichi class and _away_ from that woman.

...

I _wasn't _scared of that woman nor her demonic chakra.

...

I just had places to be, that's all.

Yeah.

**~{V}~**

_Such false bravado... Such ignorance..._ The white-haired kunoichi inwardly mused as defiant moss green eyes burned into her mind. _She will learn... She will learn soon enough...that there is much to be scared of..._

_Still... She was a nice change of pace...from the usual..._

Shīna nodded slowly to herself as she sipped at her drink, picked up her chopsticks, ate her breakfast and ignored the deep grumblings echoing from within her mind.

**~{V}~**

"Good morning, class. I am Remi Mizukawa, your teacher for this course. You will refer to me as Remi-sensei." The uniform-clad woman tapped her folding fan against her deep red lips. "Understood?"

"Yes, Remi-sensei!"

"Good." She nodded curtly, brown eyes narrowing. "As kunoichi, there are certain..._advantages_ that you hold over your male counterparts. I will help you cultivate these and mold you into women befitting of Kirigakure."

"Now, first lesson: proper etiquette and posture!" Her voice was loud, booming. "Back straight! Hands in your lap! Chin held high...!"

Kami, I had assumed this would basically be Home Economics but it wasn't. Kunochi classes were basically designed as a breeding ground for under-aged, assassin prostitutes, as crude as that sounded.

Remi-sensei was correct. We women did have numerous advantages of our male counterparts. Men were trained to be hard and unyielding—anything else was seen as unnecessary and weak. Men weren't supposed to cry. Men had to be _tough_. Men were expected to be conquerors and leaders. Men were too rigid, only able to fit into one category at a time but it wasn't their fault. Society's view on gender roles were just as much to blame.

But, women weren't like that. We could be everything a man could be and _more_. Yes, a woman was typically expected to be soft, delicate and perfumed, viewed as prizes for men to claim, and many women detested that sort of mentality. But, it was only a woman who had the power to lead a man into complete ruin, reaping all the rewards that he'd struggled to sow. All a woman had to do was flutter her eyelashes, whisper a few tender words, give a few teasing caresses to the right people and she'd be able to claim victory without even getting sweaty in the process.

Haven't you ever read stories of entire nations fighting over _one_ woman and destroying themselves in the process? _That_ is the kind of power women had over men.

But a woman didn't just have to soft and sweet. A woman had just as much potential—if not _more_—to be the dominating powerhouses that men were expected and aspired to be. They weren't as numerous but they existed—women like Tsunade, Mei Terumī and Konan came to mind.

(Hell, the latter had even created her own unique fighting-style that utilized only chakra and _paper_! Seriously, how cool is that?! Oh kami, if I could just be able to touch her _hand_, I would be set for lif—)

I wanted to be that kind of woman: manipulating enough to be given what I wanted yet strong enough to be able to _take_ what I wanted if I had to. I wanted to be both sweet and sour. Both hard and soft. Both flexible and unyielding. I wanted to appear as a lovely, innocuous woman but be _known_ as a formidable, deadly threat. That's what kind of woman—no, _kunoichi_—that I wanted to go down in history as.

"No teeth when smiling, Ringo!" Remi-sensei snapped at one girl next to me whilst smacking the young girl with her fan. "Kami knows you'll scare off men with those knives! Keep your lips together!"

The girl grumbled something under her breath as she rubbed the sore spot on her head, mussing up her weirdly-styled maroon hair. Remi-sensei stood over me next, watching with a critical eye as I performed her instructions perfectly.

Back straight. Hands in your lap. Chin held high. Fleeting eye contact. Slightly flushed cheeks. A bashful smile, no teeth.

"Hmph. Good." She said finally before moving onto the next girl.

My lips set into a triumphant smirk as I soaked up the woman's approval and inwardly laughed at the others having trouble. Stupid girls. It didn't make an ounce of sense for them to be having such difficulties. How could you possibly have trouble acting like a _woman_? It's not that hard of a concept to pick up, for kami's sake. It was pathetic. I could already see I would be having numerous good bouts of internal laughter at the expense of these dumb children.

Once she was finished, Remi-sensei reclaimed her place back at the front of the class. "Most of you did decently enough. When I'm through with you, those unsightly habits will be non-existent. Now..." A devious smile formed on her lips as she turned the whiteboard over.

"Our next topic for today: intercourse! Also known as _sex_!" She gestured towards the rather..._detailed_ diagram on the board. "Better known as _the-thing-Mommy-and-Daddy-does-when-they-think-I'm-asleep_!"

A few explanations later, shrills cries and squeals of disgust erupted throughout the room.

...

The only thing I could manage was wiping away the tears as I laughed and laughed.

**~{V}~**

After class let out sometime in the afternoon, I set about looking for proper work.

It wasn't that hard to find a few errands to run here and there. It even seemed like there were too many available when genin were supposed to take care of such tasks. Maybe the genin in Kirigakure made did other things instead of menial tasks...?

Regardless, even with the abundance of errands for me to perform, I knew that these opportunities would eventually dwindle when the war died down. Maybe. I wasn't one to rely on guesses, however, so I had been in the process of finding a steady income.

The hunt wasn't going too well. That may have been more because of me and not because of a lack of jobs, though. I had some pretty high standards—not anything like working in high-class restaurants or anything like that but...just something that would hold my attention for a long period of time. I didn't exactly have a short attention span but I could get antsy when I wasn't doing something productive or entertaining.

I was too young at work in the makeup, perfume or clothing stores—the workers dismissed me before I could even finish my question. Disheartened, I took a small break, taking a trip into the library to check out a few books to study up on. Kirigakure's village library was...interesting but ultimately unsurprising. It wasn't difficult to locate books about chakra theories and weaponry; basic ninjutsu, genjutsu and taijutsu. Even the basics in the esoteric arts of fūinjutsu and barrier ninjutsu were present.

Interesting stuff. Especially chakra theory. I was still perturbed about my encounter with that _woman_ and how I'd been so receptive to her chakra and, yet, I'd been unable to detect anyone else beforehand—or after, as I _still_ hadn't felt anything remotely close to what I'd felt before.

No one's chakra stood out like Shīna's had.

But... I think I knew what it was...that made her so different...

I scooped up three books: chakra theory, fūinjutsu and barrier ninjutsu, just because the series didn't bother to go into specifics about them. Before leaving, I inquired about some part-time work at the library but the librarian took one look at me, then shooed me away, as if I was some street urchin to be ignored. Appalled, I showed her _exactly_ how I felt about it—by kicking over a cart of books and pouring a bottle of ink onto the floor—before contentedly strolling out of the place.

After walking for about ten minutes, I ended up on Market Street, in a district that could be classified as the "midtown" of Kirigakure. I will admit that it was _much_ more lively than it was this morning but there was still an underlying sense of..._anxiousness_ that was present. I figured it was from the war going on but there was no need for me to keep repeating what we already knew about the state of Water Country.

"Why's it so hard to find some _work_ around here?" I grumbled softly, shifting my hold on my books. "Might have to put it on hold fo—"

My eyebrows furrowed as I felt something _wet_ graze the side of my face. I stopped and rubbed my cheek, looking around for the source. Finally, my eyes landed on a store with a boy sitting beside the entrance. Clutched in one hand was a small bottle of liquid—presumable soap water or bubble solution—and, in the other hand, was a bubble blower. He looked kind of bored, with head tilted back and his brown eyes staring up towards the sky.

...He looked kind of familiar, for some reason.

A kid. Maybe...the owner would feel a little pity for me if they had a child of their own? Have empathy and all that sob story drivel. Yeah. Yeah... That might actually work. I put on my most innocent, naive expression and strolled into the store, briefly glancing down at the boy as I passed by.

The store was a supply store. There were shelves stocked with scrolls, boxes of shuriken, set of kunai and even more. My eyes glimmered in excitement as I traced over a box filled with small balls marked with the character for _light_. I _had_ to work here, just so I could be closer to some honest, legit _weapons_.

"HEY!" A voice barked out loudly. "Git yer hands offa that, brat!"

I slowly retracted my hand, turning my head to stare at the frowning man over the counter. His arms were crossed over his chest, his beady eyes glaring down at me in distaste and suspicion. A bashful smile appeared on my face as did a slight blush as I hopped over to the counter, rocking back on my heels as I peered up at the man through my eyelashes.

"Hello, sir! I was wondering if you maybe had some work to so around here?" I fluttered my lashes. "Like, maybe some part-time work?"

"No, I _don't_. Now _scat_!" He snapped loudly, using a fist to bang down on his counter. "Go on! Git! Shoo!"

...Was he actually talking to me like a dog? If I didn't need the money, I swear I would've hopped across that counter and took a chunk out of him...! But, dammit, I really wanted to be near those ninja tools for research and examination. Maybe I could even swipe a couple of them when no one was looking. Out the corner of my eye, I saw that kid slowly stroll in, his stupid toys still clutched into his hands. He probably came in to see what the fuss was about.

I ignored him, instead forcing tears to pool into my eyes and my lower lip to quiver as I stared up at the man woefully. "P-please, sir! I need the money so I can buy stuff for school! M-My parents can't afford i-it for me s-so—"

"Then wut the hell you need to work in here fer!? Go somewhere else! I don' need no brat fallin' and trippin' over my wares!" He shouted, moving from behind the register to tower over me. "GIT! OUT!"

He roughly grasped my arm, dragging me towards the entrance and out into the streets. A somewhat bewildered, appalled look marred my face as the man slung me onto the dirt path and continued to yell at me. Slightly disoriented, I lifted my head, looking around wildly to see if an adult would stand for a grown man to bully a small, defenseless little girl.

No one came to my rescue. The few people that were in the streets either ignored my plight or watched on from afar, completely unperturbed about the scene happening before their eyes.

"NOW GIT OUTTA HERE!"

_What_ the hell was his problem? I hardly even turned on the waterworks and he was already hostile!

And he had the absolute _nerve _to _manhandle ME_!?

I scrambled off of the ground, gnashing my teeth together in livid anger as I ran up and kicked him as hard as I could right between the knees. He howled loudly, bending at his waist to clutch at his injury. My anger still not slaked, I grabbed tufts of his gritty hair with both hands, yanked it viciously and slammed his head into the ground. As a finisher, I hocked a wad of spit right into his face.

I pointed a finger down at him once I picked up my books, a demonic grin on my face. "Learn your place, _swine_! You are _beneath_ me!"

He took a weak swipe at my legs which I easily stepped away from. "I-I'm g-gonna—" His voice gurgled in his throat. "Stupid, lil' b-bitch—"

"Shut your mouth, scum." I spat. "We'll see how you like it when I slap a explosive tag on that piece of shit building of yours! You won't let me work there, then _no one_ else can, either!"

With that, I kicked dirt on him, just so he would remember his place, and strolled around his body, smiling sweetly at the people lingering around. A few took some steps away from me while others, surprisingly, were laughing, snickering and pointing at the downed man. So, my actions were seen as acceptable here?

A devious smile slid over my lips as I hummed a victory fanfare of a game long gone.

...Maybe the kami _did_ know what they were doing when they plopped me down in this hellhole.

**~{V}~**

"Shitty lil' brat! Kickin' ma damn nuts in! Pullin' ma hair! Spittin' on me! Kickin' dirt at me! Next time I see 'er, I'm gonna strangle the livin' hell outta 'er!"

Utakata watched the girl leave from the corner of his eyes, not even bothering to turn his head as he dipped his blower back into the bottle of solution and ignored the loud rantings of death and pain.

Stupid girl. Did she think ryō grew on trees? If they had enough money for extra help, he wouldn't have any need to join the Academy. She whined about her parents not being able to afford it, then why did they sign her up into the Academy in the first place of they couldn't spare the money? They should've just kept her locked up at home.

Stupid, immature girl. She thought assaulting people and making empty threats would automatically get her what she wanted.

...As if she could actually make a explosive seal. _That'd be the day!_

He lifted up his plastic bubble blower, blowing out a few large bubbles. He watched rather wistfully as they flowed and bobbed up towards the entrance of the store and towards the ceiling.

The bubbles hit the cracked ceiling with soundless _'pop_._'_

He sighed softly.

_Stupid, stupid girl._

**~{V}~**

"H-hey, kid. C-could ya...go to tha store fer me an' pick up some...antacid, some, uh—"

"Fine. Give me the money."

Gōzu's head lifted from his knees when he heard her voice. The door closed. His eyebrows furrowed when he heard a loud '_THUMP' _and he was about to say something about it when her voice stopped him.

"What are you doing here, Gōzu?"

He quickly stood up, dusting off his pants and giving her a smile. "I...just wanted to see if you were...okay?" He eyed her dirtied clothes. "Did something happen to you, Shizu-chan?"

She didn't respond. Instead, she adjusted her hold on the books in her arms, turned to her apartment's door, unlocked it and kicked it open, leaving it slightly ajar. He waited a few seconds before he picked up his bag and entered, not wanting to keep his friend waiting.

"Where's Meizu?"

He looked up from toeing off his sandals to see her untying her sash, her red curtain of hair obscuring her face from sight. "Oh. He's sleeping at home. We did a lot of stuff today." He tentatively took a seat, placing his parcel onto the table.

She hummed softly, folding up the long article of clothing and laying it on her bed. Next, she moved towards her bathroom. He heard the sink faucet turn on.

"There's this...nice lady that lives next door to us." He raised his voice a little so she could hear him. "She reminds me of Granny Kas—" He covered his mouth quickly, hoping she didn't catch his slip.

She didn't say anything.

He continued.

"U-uh, she gave us some of her dinner. She said she made too much." He scratched his head. "I t-thought that maybe you might want some...?"

The water stopped. She emerged from the bathroom. "What is it?"

"Well..." He trailed off, suddenly regretting his decision. He continued, though, as he knew silence would only serve irk her more. "W-well, it's...it's potato stew. Over rice."

_Please, don't hurt me...! _He closed his eyes and curled in on himself as he braced for the oncoming verbal lashing he was about to get.

...

There was nothing, only soft shifting and shuffling. He cracked open an eye, blinking in astonishment as he saw that she was seated across from him, pulling her long hair back into a ponytail. Gōzu reluctantly relaxed, nervously biting his thumbnail as he watched his friend run fingers through her bangs and smooth down her clothes.

Surely, Shizuka would get angry at him.

Was she trying to lure him into a false sense of security?

"Sounds good." She looked at him expectantly as her hands dropped onto the table. "Well?"

"U-uh?"

The redhead tsked softly as she rose to her feet, snatching the bag up off the table. "Warm up the food, stupid."

"O-oh." His cheeks flushed in embarrassment."Sorry."

She hummed.

A comfortable silence descended over the small apartment. It made Gōzu feel a little homesick—he could still hear Granny Kasumi's kind voice and Nanami's shrill voice. He could see himself and Shizuka huddled up in the blue-haired woman's room, going through piles of books and scrolls together. He could see his brother stomping in and yelling insults while Shizuka looked on with amusement in her eye.

He had his brother. He had Shizuka.

...But he was still missing everything else.

_It hurt_.

"Here. Let's eat." Shizuka took a seat after placing the food on the table. "We'll have to eat out the dishes the lady left the food in."

The redhead clicked together her chopsticks before digging into her meal. He ducked his head down, attempting to hide away the tears that sprung up into his eyes as he picked up his own eating utensils.

He was embarrassed. Shizuka hadn't even cried when Granny Kasumi began treating her differently and she didn't cry when they left home, either. Shizuka was_ strong_. He didn't want her to look at him the same way that she did Meizu.

He didn't want Shizuka to see him as a bother to be ignored.

_But the tears wouldn't stop._

"Wait." She said.

He didn't look up when heard her get up but he did once he felt a gentle pressure on his head.

"Don't cry." Her head tilted to the side, her eyes closing as her lips pulled into a smile. "It...makes your face messy."

...

...Just like that, the tears stopped.

His face heated up and his chest filled with the familiar warmth he got whenever he saw those brief glimpses of gentleness from his friend.

"O-okay."

The smile left as quickly as it appeared. She sat back at her place as if nothing had happened, returning to eating her meal as if she hadn't even moved.

But the happy feeling in his chest refused to fade away.

Meizu always questioned why he stayed near Shizuka whenever he could. He always wondered why Gōzu didn't mind Shizuka's prickly, sometimes mean attitude. Meizu didn't understand any of it, didn't really care to try to understand it and Gōzu didn't quite know how to put it in words, anyways. If his brother would just pay attention like he did, then maybe he would be able to see what he saw.

Under the cold outside, Shizuka was warm on the inside. So very, _very_ warm. Hot. Burning, even. But she had trouble thawing herself out for some reason.

So, Gōzu would try to for her, if she let him.

He would try to make Shizuka warm on the inside and out the same way that she did for him. He wanted that secret smile to be on her face forever.

...

Maybe, then, his brother—and everybody else, too—would be able to see what he saw when he looked at Shizuka.

**~{V}~**

It was dark by the time Gōzu finally left.

...Sometimes, I forgot he wasn't like me and still a kid.

I pulled out my notebook, flipping through the pages before finding a blank one. Grabbing up my pencil, I quickly wrote out something.

_Shīna. Kunoichi of unknown strength. Dark, powerful chakra_—_most likely a jinch__ūriki. Bijū unknown._

I nodded slightly as I flipped it shut and grabbed up the book that the detailed the basics of fūinjutsu to begin studying. How _dare_ that man refuse me! Then, he had the nerve to speak to me in such a manner, like I was some _animal_! He thought my threat was empty, _fine_! I'd learn to make an explosive tag...and then he'd see! He'd learn the error of his ways after I blew up that ratty store of his...

My lips curled up into a devious grin.

He'd be sorry he _ever_ crossed the great and mighty Shizuka...!

* * *

**~/Omake 01/~**

* * *

_Summer, Year 264_

_..._

_I've never done something like this before. _

_Mother got me this journal, saying I should be more like other girls and write down my inner feelings or something. I think it's kinda stupid._

_Why do I have to be like other girls? All they do is brush their hair and put on makeup and talk about me when they think I'm not listening._

_Stupid girls. _

_So what if I like making mud pies and fishing instead of all that other useless stuff?_

_I hate them._

_I'm supposed to be beginning clan training soon. I'll become the strongest and then they won't be able to laugh at me anymore. _

_I can already imagine it now._

(A roughly drawn picture is shown below. It depicts a grinning stick figure standing on top of a pile of other stick figures with _'x'_s as their eyes.)

_Yeah! They'll be sorry they ever crossed the great and mighty Uzume!_

* * *

**.**

* * *

**Trivia about the MC: **Shizuka's favorite female _Naruto_ character is (obviously) Konan, as we just briefly witnessed her fan-girling over her.

Shizuka vaguely remembers going to a store, buying a stuffed animal, going home, printing out a picture of Tobi, taping it to her newly bought stuffed toy, taking it outside and driving over it in her car several times after she witnessed him killing her favorite kunoichi in her former life.

* * *

**A/N: **I hope Shizuka's personality doesn't seem abrupt or OOC because it isn't. Her terrible personality was more subdued while she was in the orphanage (and when she felt loved) but, now that she's on her own, she's basically free to be the horrible person that she really is. In regards to her arrogance and her claims of being "fearless", I thought it would be a nice change of pace if I had an SI whose death didn't humble her but, instead, made her feel _above_ anyone or anything. As Shizuka stated, you die once and get reborn, you are officially above others who have only lived once.

(Don't worry. She'll learn :D)

I think every five chapters, I'll put a little omake starring Shizuka's mother for some background on her and also a little trivia about our beloved MC. Just small tidbits that probably won't impact the story but will give some insight on her personality and maybe even her past life.

One last thing: **what do you guys think Shizuka's heritage is? **I'm genuinely curious of what you all think. A guest left a comment that got me wondering. Plus, thanks to a certain user named **Tsuchigumo**. Your comment actually helped me write this chapter when you mentioned the mysterious jinchūriki of the Three Tails—she'll be playing a relatively important part later.

**Edited: 27/03/2015 - Changed the format. Made some grammar corrections (while possibly leaving more).**


	6. DROP VI - First Day at the Academy

**Disclaimer: _Naruto_ © Masashi Kishimoto. The only things I own are my OCs and I gain nothing from writing it besides the pleasure.**

* * *

**Warnings:** Language. Shizuka being rude about the intelligence of other children. An ass-ton of fūinjutsu explanation. Prepare yourselves.

* * *

**.Scarlet Waters - Chapter Six - First Day at the Academy.**

* * *

Kunoichi classes continued on.

The following weeks were focused on flexibility and agility. We were trained using this regime that was a mixture of gymnastics and yoga, folding and bending our bodies in ways that I hadn't even known were possible. Every morning was the same routine: an hour of yoga followed by an hour of gymnastics conditioning. Then, an hour of the miscellaneous subject of the day—etiquette, basic herbology, first-aid, poisons, etcetera—with Sex Ed being the final topic of the day.

I found it all to be completely interesting, really. I was enthralled with kunoichi classes, being the only girl who really was. I was the only one who actually put any effort into being the "perfect" kunoichi—the other girls couldn't be bothered to from what I could see. Their disinterest was the main reason why I had the highest marks in the class.

I laughed at them but wondered why it was like that. Why was I the _only_ girl really interested in subterfuge, infiltration and generally acting like what the role of a kunoichi demanded? As the weeks drew on, I began to realize that it was because Kirigakure bred warmongers and that the only thing on those girls' minds was sticking a sword in someone's gut and disemboweling them. It was barbaric and disgusting, really, but I supposed that was how things worked in this world, in this village.

Like, what's so great about getting your hands dirty killing someone? I couldn't fathom going out onto the battlefield and killing everyone so brutally that the area was covered in blood.

(Like a certain swordsman that I knew of.)

To be honest, I wasn't all that interested in killing my opponents. If anything, I wanted to keep them alive so they could experience the humiliation of falling before my might for as long as they drew breath. They'd probably end up either killing themselves out of shame or relentlessly pursuing me in a futile quest to regain lost honor—the former, I didn't care much for, but the latter would most assuredly draw a certain amount of entertainment.

(I liked seeing people _squirm_.)

But, before all that good stuff, I had to get through ninja training.

My time after kunoichi classes were spent studying the few books I'd practically stolen from the library and preparing for the day that I'd blow up that disgusting pig's store. _No_, I wasn't obsessed; I just refused to let such a large wrong be brushed under a rug. Stupid people didn't learn from their mistakes if they weren't punished for them.

I was merely the adult teaching that man-child a lesson he would not soon forget.

So, in my journey of creating the perfect explosive seal and demolishing his store, I had to learn fūinjutsu. Surprisingly, fūinjutsu wasn't _that_ difficult to pick up.

Well, learning the basics wasn't that difficult. It just required an understanding of terms, concepts and a general idea of how the most common seals functioned.

So, how do you create your own seal to become all super badass?

Unfortunately, it would take _way_ too long to explain fūinjutsu in its entirety so I'll just give the fundamentals and try to keep the descriptions to a minimum as it'll make your brain explode from an overload of information.

(You'll probably just skip the whole thing. I wouldn't blame you, honestly.)

Fūinjutsu is, in essence, written word—seals—given a purpose or an action. Each seal can be broken down into a network filled with several nodes linked together, which is often called a _seal matrix_, powered via chakra. Each node has a specific function that can be likened to that of a computer file or program. Regardless of the function, all seals are comprised of a combination of the same basic nodes.

Here's a list of them:

First off, every seal is powered by either a _battery _or a _receptor_. Seals powered by batteries have chakra already in them and are able to function without the maintenance of the creator. When not in use, they enter a state of hibernation, supplying chakra only to the basic nodes required for activation. Because they contain chakra, the Byakugan is able to find these seals. _Receptors _are for transferring a steady stream of chakra from the target to the seal. The best example of this would be the Strength of a Hundred Seal, which stores up amounts of chakra over a period of time to a specific point on the body until released.

_Limiters_ are used for setting...well, the "limits" of a seal. All seals have a set limitation to its function as well as a set breaking point. I know it sounds as if placing limiters would be debilitating, however, it's quite the opposite—placing limiters actually make seals more efficient. Limiters define what a seal can and cannot react to, as well as helping in determining a seal's breaking point. It also defines how much or how little of something should be expelled from the seal.

_Capability nodes _list the functions or properties of the seal. From sealing an item, person or chakra to releasing a flame dragon jutsu, the capability node is used to define these purposes.

_Identification_ _nodes_ are optional and work like a password-protected file. If the seal can't register the chakra signature of the activator then they won't have access to its contents. It can be rigged to react to a specific person's chakra or the chakra of a clan, if they share a similar signature. These are used in tandem with limiters.

_Triggers _are what tells the seal what will activate it. These are most often used in traps and vary depending on the circumstance and scenario, while _execution points _are simply the points at which the effects of the seal are expelled from the node.

_Anchors _are... Oh kami. The book I have doesn't say much regarding anchors but, from what little there is, these nodes are different from the above standard ones. Summoning justu are mentioned to use these, leading me to believe they have something to do with space-time jutsu and different dimensions.

Finally, there are _multi-layered nodes_. According to the book, these are very complex and hard to pull off as you have to program each layer and manually connect it to the next layer, all while making sure they don't merge together. Also, you have to make sure they're properly balanced—even-numbered seals can't be placed over odd-numbered seals and vice versa—as an imbalance will basically short circuit _all _the seals, forcing you to start over from scratch.

...

Did you get all that?

All right, so now you're probably saying, _"Okay, that's all well and good, Shizuka-sama, but how exactly do we, ya know, make these node things?"_

Well, my dear listener, you'll be surprised to find out that the nodes...are simply made by combining different kanji together.

...

That's right.

That's _all_ it is.

Didn't I just explain that fūinjutsu is merely written word given a purpose?

The real complications began, however, when attempting to create one's own unique seal without using a pre-existing one as a foundation. It's the reason why there were so few sealing masters in the world as well as shinobi who use fūinjutsu as a fighting style.

The only people that came to mind would be Tsunade, Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze and...the Uzumaki clan. I find the correlation between these people, their usage of fūinjutsu and their overall renown throughout the Elemental Nations to be rather interesting. Tsunade is the official authority on the medical world, Jiraiya was one of few people in the world that had access to Sage techniques, Minato is a one-man army and the whole nation of Uzushiogakure was destroyed because people feared their power with fūinjutsu.

I don't know about you...but I think that says something.

_"But, if it's just kanji, then why isn't everyone using __f__ūinjutsu, Shizuka-sama!?"_ You wail but I tsk and waggle my finger, smiling at your naivety.

...

Then I frown as I ponder your question.

Why _doesn't_ everyone just use fūinjutsu? With enough time and patience, one could create seals for everything they could ever need.

I suppose, the best way to explain it would be through comparison: making your own seals is basically like cooking your own food when there's a fast food joint right next to your house. _Sure_, you could sit there and make your own food—and it'd probably be better in the long run—but going to the food place next to your house is more convenient and you're probably famished so it's less time-consuming. Using the same line of thought, why make your own seals when any weapons store worth their salt would already have them in stock for you to use?

Hell, I mean, look at all that shit I just explained to you above. Would you seriously dedicate a portion of your time—your _life_—attempting to revolve a whole fighting style on fūinjutsu, which could backfire on you when you least expect it to because of faulty programming!? And I haven't even mentioned on how you're supposed to decipher other people's seals—that would have taken even damn _longer_.

At the end of the day, the main reason why hardly anyone used fūinjutsu as a primary skill was because a shinobi's main claim to fame was killing people and there were simpler, more efficient ways to kill a person than fooling around with kanji on paper. Why waste the time making your own seals when you can go buy a sword and begin hacking away or learn a new jutsu and burn/drown/electrocute/crush/slice some people?

...

To be honest, I wouldn't even bother with fūinjutsu.

...

But I'm going to. I'm going to create a whole fighting style, unique only to me—and possibly whatever students I decide to take on—using fūinjutsu as the basic premise.

_"But, Shizuka-sama, you just said_—_"_ I raise a silencing hand, cutting off your whining.

I know what I just said, dear listener, but it doesn't apply to me.

Because I don't plan on being some average, run-of-the-mill kunoichi. I would be _remembered_ in this world if it was the last thing I would do!

I wanted to be a household name! When I hit the battlefield, I wanted people to run like their asses were on fire if they caught even a brief glimpse of me! I wanted stories to be told about me long after I'd died a second time! I didn't want to leave behind just memories when I died again, I wanted to leave behind a _legacy..._!

I wanted to go down in history as a legend...

And I would, using fūinjutsu as a stepping stone. I'd use this arcane art that barely anyone but professionals bothered with and create something amazing that no one else would be able to copy or tamper with.

I'd create something that matched my greatness...!

...Starting with an explosive seal to demolish that disgusting pig's shitty store.

**~{VI}~**

The rest of April flew by as I worked on creating my first functioning seal, a smoke seal, the easiest one to make before the storage seal and the explosive seal. It took a few days of tampering with the limiters as I kept constantly flooding out the damn thing with too much chakra but, for all intents and purposes, it worked.

...Just at the cost of filling my entire home with thick smoke that took hours to air out and the realization that I needed to practice my chakra control if I didn't want to keep going through all my paper.

While disgruntled, I was satisfied with my progress and, before I knew it, it was the first day of classes.

**~{VI}~**

We were all put in different classes, the twins and I.

Meizu was put in Class C, the class for children who were either illiterate or had little to no knowledge concerning academics. It consisted mainly of grubby children pulled right up off the streets, those that spawned from really poor families and kids that were just plain stupid. The younger twin showed competency in the ninja arts but didn't understand basic math, science or history so...he ended up where he belonged.

(_Yes_, I laughed at him.)

Gōzu got placed into Class B, the normal class, I suppose you could call it. It was for children who were literate, had an understanding of basic scholastics and were ready to move onto learning chakra molding. This class consisted of children from civilian families with either a single parent or relative that were shinobi. Gōzu could've easily been in the same class as me had he known how to use chakra but he _didn't_, so he also ended up where he belonged.

(I wasn't surprised about it, though. He wasn't like his stupid brother.)

And me... I ended up in Class A, the advanced class. Clan kids and kids from shinobi families made up the bulk of this class, along with a few other kids that didn't belong to either who I guess could be considered geniuses (I was included in that). These kids were smarter and basically had a better education than the rest and, with a better education, was able to skip all the boring trivialities the other kids had to suffer through. Apparently, I was of greater ability than the rest to be put in the advanced class—I was relieved to know that the officials were capable of seeing talent when it was right in front of them.

I curled a piece of hair around my finger as I examined the classroom. It was large, circular with rows of desks generally set up like the ones I can sorta recall from my college lecture hall.

"Shut _UP_!"

I eyed the man standing in front of us in distaste, recognizing him as the brown-eyed examiner from weeks before. For kami's sake, why did _I _have to end up with this pompous asshole as a teacher? Why couldn't I have the old guy or, better yet, the one with the eye patch? I suppressed a sigh as the man continued speaking.

"Now. My name is Seimei Ichijiku but you are to refer to me as Ichijiku-sensei." He crossed an arm over his chest, using the other to curl a lock of hair around his finger. "I implore you not to call me anything but or things could get..._messy_."

There was a beat of uncomfortable silence and I rolled my eyes at his weak attempt at intimidation. Really? Was that the best he coul—

"OW!" I yelped as someone had the complete_ audacity _to use my hair as an anchor to slam my head down onto the desk. "What the fuc—"

"Ah, it's you. Little orphan girl." Ichijiku's voice sneered from above me. "Already causing a disruption and we haven't even started?"

I turned my head as much as I could with it pressed down—which wasn't much—to angle a glare up at him. "_What_ are you talking about...?"

He tsked derisively. "Really, you just have no regards for authority, do you?" He ground my head into the desk, causing me to groan quietly. "I saw you just now, rolling your eyes at me, as if what I have to say is irrelevant."

"I—"

"Shut. Up." He roughly yanked my head up, staring down at me with contempt. "I knew I didn't like you, from the the first moment I saw your conceited little mug. Just my luck, you get put into my class for your rather pitiful display during evaluations."

I scowled, barring my teeth but otherwise remaining quiet. The overwhelming urge to fight against his hold and lash out at him was strong but I knew that if I _did_ let myself lose control, I'd probably find myself in that third cycle of life all too soon. _Restraint_, I needed to work on it—at least until I became a kick-ass kunoichi able to kill this guy where he stood.

"You're lucky. I can't kill you, for I haven't made any rules about minding your superiors as I _wrongly_ assumed that you'd all be respectful." He finally released his hold, using two fingers to roughly jab my head back. "But..." He pointed at me. "Show even the smallest amount of disregard to my person and I'll break your legs and throw you into the Black Marshes. _Got it_?"

I fought down the scoff, instead nodding curtly, ignoring the pain and smoothing down my hair. No reason to blow a gasket, gotta keep up appearances—or, at least, that's what Remi-sensei taught. "Yes, Ichijiku-sensei."

He jabbed my forehead once more, grinning sadistically at my no doubt twitching eye and barred teeth. "Hmph, I can see that burning rebellion in your eyes." He chuckled. "Don't worry. By the time I'm through with you, you'll be as obedient as any well-trained_ mutt_."

...

_Calm down, Shizuka. Count to ten and imagine yourself eviscerating this poor, ignorant fool._

"The same goes for the rest of you. Kirigakure only breeds the finest soldiers: intelligent, strong and trained to obey orders without question. Apparently, you all have _something_ that makes you leagues above the rest to be put in my class. Yet...you're still _weak_."

"I'll change that. So, enough with the chitter-chatter." He smiled. "Let's get started, shall we? I assume you all know how to mold chakra?"

At our affirmations, he continued as he pulled some slips of paper from his pocket, "Then, this exercise ought to be quick and simple. This here is chakra paper, made specifically to identify a person's elemental affinity."

Oooh, interesting. And on the first day too? The smart kids get to have all the fun—glad I was one of them. Excitement bubbled in me as Ichijiku-sensei placed the paper on the desk in front of me and I eagerly snatched it up. Luckily, channeling chakra to the hands was simple, plus I'd gotten a good bit of experience from testing my smoke seals.

The paper stiffened briefly as chakra coursed through it before abruptly igniting in between my fingers. I yelped sharply, grabbing up a book I'd brought from home to quickly squash the burning residue, sending ashes flying. Thankfully, it was enough to halt the would-be disaster on my desk and, after making sure my book wasn't aflame, I leaned back into my seat with a soft sigh of relief as a few other surprised gasps filled the room, presumably for a similar reason as my brief moment of panic.

I didn't pay any attention.

...

_Fire_.

I hadn't expected that. I was hoping for something that would give me an advantage, like earth or lightning—even water would've been better than having _fire._

...Well, I suppose it wasn't _all_ bad. Fire had its purposes. I'd read that igniting an explosive seal with a fire jutsu magnified the blast power and range. Also, water and fire resulted in steam, which could come in handy as a distraction. I'd be able to make my own fire whenever I got ready and I'd be able to burn all matter of evidence if need be. Plus, roasting someone's face from point-blank range wasn't all that bad the more I thought about it.

Yeah, fire had its uses, just like the other elements—it probably had even _more _use.

...

_Still_.

Fire.

In _Water_ Country.

_How the hell did that happen?_

_..._

"E-eek! Ichijiku-sensei!"

"_FIRE!_"

"What the hell!?"

I blinked, snapping out of my haze as a cacophony of noise filled the room.

Fire? Couldn't be me, I put out my chakra paper hazard. Squinting, I turned my head to look around the room, only to squeak and abruptly abandon my seat as I gawked at the large column of fire and smoke _right next to me_. Ameyuri—a girl from my kunoichi classes—looked just as stricken, seeing as how it was _her_ desk that had caught on fire.

"Damn it!" I heard Ichijiku curse. "Will you two idiots_ move_!?"

My body wouldn't respond for some reason. Was I scared? No, it couldn't be that.

...

But, I couldn't move, even as I watched the stray embers leaping onto my seat, catching it on fire and spreading the dancing flames closer to me.

(_Move!_)

I can't—

(_MOVE!)_

My legs aren't working—

"Don't worry! I'll put it out, Ichijiku-sensei!" A voice cried. "_Water Release: Violent Water Wave!_"

"Hōzuki, don't use that much chak—"

...

..

.

My body hurt, like I'd been hit by a truck into a brick wall.

...

The room was completely filled with water.

I wasn't sure how it had happened.

...

It...felt as if I were dying again, reliving that one moment that changed everything.

...

..

.

Floating.

Waiting.

...

..

.

My hands reached up blindly, weakly towards the bright ceiling fixtures, the fragmented lights taunting me.

(_Still haven't seen the sun_—)

Was I going to die _again_?

From drowning?

_Again!?_

(_All that time. Still haven't learned to swim. Haven't learned a damn thing_—)

I was going to drown again.

...

..

.

It was funny and a little sad.

...

As soon as the thought left my mind, I felt myself being sucked away. My body collided into something—another person, I think—before I felt cold air hitting freezing me and my body coming to a skidding stop. I layed there for what seemed like an eternity until I was roughly flipped onto my back. Something warm and soft pressed against my lips, forcing them a part and air into my oxygen-depraved lungs and there was a pressure on my chest, pressing down. Vaguely, I heard something shrill but I was too disoriented to understand, recognize or even care what it was.

A few more moments and I felt something rapidly rushing up. I pushed away whoever it was giving me CPR, leaning over to the side to throw up the water clogging my poor lungs and cough, irritating my raw throat.

"Good, you aren't dead." I heard Ichijiku-sensei grouse.

I wiped the water-logged tendrils of hair from my face, glaring up at the man as I coughed a bit more. Licking my lips, there was only one thing I could think of to say.

"You...you took my first kiss." My lips curled into a frown as my cheeks heated from what I now recognized as squeals and laughter. "I _hate_ you."

He slapped me upside the head, brown eyes shining with anger even as his face blanked into an expressionless mask. "Shut up, girl. It's _your_ fault this even happened." He then turned to the pale, white-haired boy standing behind him. "And _you_, Hōzuki. What the hell is wrong with you!? Didn't you know the concept of chakra _control_!"

The boy looked affronted as he spoke, "I _do_!"

"Then why'd you flood out the room, you imbecile?" I growled, futilely wringing out the water in my hair. "I almost _drowned_!"

"I just wanted to make sure the fire was out!" He exclaimed petulantly as he pointed a finger at me accusingly. "'Sides, it was _your _fault! Why'd you even have fire as a chakra affinity, anyways!? We're in _Water _Country!"

I pushed myself up onto my feet, ignoring the wave of dizziness that washed over me. My eyes narrowed as my teeth clenched together in anger, from both his words and my own thoughts. I wanted to come up with a scathing remark but the words, _nothing_ would come out of my mouth. The only thing I could do was glare—glare and think about how I couldn't answer his question.

"That's enough." Ichijiku-sensei's smooth voice cut in. "Looks like we're all in need of some review on chakra control—" He shot the white-haired boy a glare. "—as well as starting on water breathing." He turned his hard glower towards me. "Everyone back into the classroom!"

I spat out the last bit of water, brutally shoving past the source of my current state, ignoring his cry of indignation.

...

..

.

The first day of school and I already had to buy new clothes.

...

Things were not going my way.

**~{VI}~**

"How was your first day, Shizu-chan?"

"I almost drowned to death."

"W-wha—"

"Aw! And you just had to survive, didn't you!?"

I slowly placed down my bowl of ramen, wiping my mouth and smiling plesantly.

"...I'm going to murder you, Meizu."

"Yeah ri—"

Sweet sounds of choking filled the air and I could feel the tension rolling right off of me.

...I guess you _are _good for something, Meizu.

"Shizu-chan, stop! Stop choking Meizu!"

**~{VI}~**

"Heard you had to make out with one of your students on the first day, Seimei! How was it?"

The black-haired young man glared at his colleague. "Shut up, Hisahide."

The eyepatch-wearing man merely barked out another laugh while the old grey-beard coughed, rather terribly attempting to cover his own laughter. Seimei glared at the two men before huffing irritably and throwing himself back into his work, intent on blocking out their nonsense.

But...he couldn't.

His twined a lock of hair around his finger in agitation as he thought of the days event. He just _had_ to end up with that unruly orphan girl and Mangetsu Hōzuki in one class. Really, he couldn't stand either of them—one had delusions of grandeur while the other was too damn talented for his own good.

Seimei would be glad when he'd be able to cart both of them off onto the field and out of his hair.

_You...you took my first kiss._

His cheeks and ears burned in humiliation. Why did that idiot Hōzuki boy have to flood out the damn room!? And why didn't that girl know how to properly hold her breath underwater—she lived in the Land of _Water_, for kami's sake!

_You...you took my first kiss._

Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid stupid little orphan brat.

...

..

.

(She'd stolen _his_ first kiss—)

* * *

**.**

* * *

**A/N:** A month late! I'm sorry, guys.

I have only one excuse: _Skyrim_.

Not even _Jojo_ this time :/

So, you probably skipped the spiel about fūinjutsu like Shizuka said you would. That's okay, I just wanted to expand on it as no one ever goes into specifics and it's kind of like, well, what's so complicated about it? It's not like we know a whole bunch about it. To be honest, I'm not the one who actually made up the theory for fūinjutsu, it's from an RP-ing site I found after googling and I thought it was pretty interesting. I can give the link for it if you ask for it in a review or send me a PM if you'd like to check it out.

And before you ask, _yes_, fūinjutsu will play a rather major part in Shizuka development, ability-wise. You saw what she said, she's going to create her own unique style with fūinjutsu as the base. You don't have to memorize everything she said, just keep in mind that it's been explained when Shizuka starts dropping things about limiters and anchors and nodes and shiz.

Have fun, Shizu-chan. Have fun.

Hopefully, the academy days won't last too long. I'm eager to start on her genin days actually.

But, thanks for the reviews, faves and follows~! They make me so happy XD Also please excuse any mistakes you see. I don't have a beta.

**Edited: 27/03/2015 - Changed the formatting. Added a few things.**


	7. DROP VII - Playing Nice

**Disclaimer: **_**Naruto**_** © Masashi Kishimoto. The only things I own are my OCs and I gain nothing from writing this story besides the pleasure.**

* * *

**.Scarlet Waters - Chapter Seven - Playing Nice.**

* * *

I _hate_ Mangetsu Hōzuki.

"Enough!" Ichijiku-sensei brought his arm down, signaling the end of the match. "Winner: Mangetsu!"

With shattered pride and sore muscles, I pulled myself up from the ground, using my bokken as a makeshift walking stick to stand upright. He stood across from me, his lips pulled into a toothy, shit-eating grin as he watched me stagger from the training circle to the sidelines, where I stood, stewing in anger and utter humiliation. I rolled my shoulders, working out the kinks, my eyes narrowing as I watched the next pair step into the circle for battle: some Hoshigaki kid and Utakata.

My lips twisted into a deep scowl as Ichijiku-sensei started the match and Utakata proceeded to give his opponent a beating similar to the one Mangetsu had given to me.

I _hate_ Utakata.

I _hate_ Mangetsu.

_I hate them both._

...

A year.

It's been one year since I've started attending the Academy, six years since I've been reborn into this world. My birthday passed almost as if it didn't even exist; the only reason I remembered it was because Gōzu—sweet Gōzu—gifted me with a cheap but thoughtful packaged sweet cake. If not for him, my birthday most likely would've passed like all the other days of the year had: with my nose pressed in books, my hands numb from repeatedly practicing the kanji for storage seals, my body aching from running errands and the beating I received from sparring with the two banes of my existence.

(November 11. That's my birthday. November 11, 286. Remember it this time—it's your favorite month, after all.)

A year.

It's been one year since starting my studies in fūinjutsu. Progress with my own seal has been minimal—_if that_—and has been put on an indefinite hiatus until I can figure out what the hell I'm even attempting to achieve. Smoke and storage seals have been memorized to the point where I can practically make them in my sleep; the corners of my apartment are filled with the things that I'm planning on selling them for some extra ryō. Explosive seals are in the beta stages as I haven't had the time to properly test them out to make the required tweaks.

(Just you wait, I _will _demolish that store. I just have to bide my time for the perfect opportunity.)

A year.

It's been a year since Ichijiku-sensei stole my first kiss. To think, I had plans of giving it to a certain special someone, only for that...that vile man to take it from me. It doesn't matter if he was saving my life! I never asked him to do it! And to add insult to injury, he's gone out of his way to make my school life all the more difficult. He called it "swimming lessons" and "water breathing training" but all he did was throw me into bodies of water, expecting me to inexplicably sprout fins and gills and proceed to swim like I _belonged_ in water.

Who the hell did he think I was? A Hoshigaki? _They_ were the only ones with gills!

(I guess it wasn't _all_ bad; I did eventually learn to swim... I still hated Ichijiku-sensei.)

_A year_.

So much had happened and yet nothing had changed.

I was going nowhere. I was stagnant once again and it was Mangetsu Hōzuki who made me realize it.

He was..._better_ than me, in every way—it physically pained me to say it but it was the truth. I don't know if it was due to genes, early access to ninja training, that overpowered Hydration technique or what; all I knew was that, no matter how I tried, I couldn't reach that lofty pedestal Mangetsu sat upon, sneering down at me as if I weren't even worthy of the mud on his shoes.

I _hated_ Mangetsu Hōzuki.

But it wasn't just him. No. It couldn't be just _one_ person who was superior to me. It couldn't be just _one_ person that managed to grind my pride into a fine, powdered dust.

**No**.

I suppose he had to start somewhere, Kirigakure's future jinchūriki of Saiken. It was almost inconceivable to think that he had such humble roots, being a resident of that shitty ninja supply store I planned on destroying in the future. From what little information he volunteered about himself, the only reason he became a ninja in the first place was to graduate to genin and be able to put money on his family's table. How he outclassed me, I'll never know, the only explanation would be that he was an actual, honest-to-kami _prodigy_.

Academics, bukijutsu, kenjutsu, taijutsu, ninjutsu—_everything_—anything Utakata picked up, he mastered, just like Mangetsu and I _hated_ them for that.

I hated them for being better than me.

_I_ was supposed to be the best. _Me_! I was more intelligent than them all; It should be _me_ as the top student in the class!

But, _noooo_! I was pushed into _fourth_—yes, FOURTH, you read that correctly—right behind Ameyuri Ringo. The only reason I didn't hate the girl with a passion of a thousand, burning suns was because she wasn't a complete turd sandwich about it (and because I almost burnt her to a crisp by accident). Mangetsu liked rubbing his superiority in my face with taunts and goading while Utakata liked to act all aloof and pretend I wasn't even worth his time.

...

I _hated_ them.

They eclipsed me...but it wouldn't always be like that.

I _refused_ to give up so easily.

...

_Fire in Water._

Maybe that's why.

I was a blazing fire, destined to engulf _all_ who dared to slight me but I was reborn into the Land of Water, a place determined to douse my flames until nothing remained, not even the ashes.

_Fire in Water_.

Fire could overcome water, if it were strong enough.

I couldn't just be a fire in the Land of Water, I had to become an inextinguishable _inferno_ if I wanted to achieve greatness.

...I just needed a little oil to fuel my flames.

But, where would I get it from...?

**~{VII}~**

I brushed aside a bit of hair as I dodged a bokken swipe to the head from my opponent, a Hoshigaki brat. He scowled in anger, his beady eyes squinting as he readied another attack. I narrowly danced out of the way, mentally thanking Remi-sensei for all those flexibility and dance exercises as I felt myself sinking slightly into the lake's water. I bent backwards, ducking under a hit from my _other_ opponent, a Kinkan brat.

_Damn_ _chakra control_.

It was already hard enough trying maintain a steady stream of chakra to the feet while on water, trying to do so while actively dodging attacks was _brutal_. Chakra control was something that I needed to work on if I wanted to dole out as many jutsu as possible while wasting as little as possible, no matter how much I just so happened to have. At this moment in time, I'd say that my chakra control was _average_—I could get jutsu done with no problem but I wasted a bit of excess in trying to perform jutsu.

When it came to water walking, I just had to make sure to take off my sandals before stepping out onto the water because it was inevitable that I would ruin them from sinking every now and again.

(You don't even _know_ how many pairs of shoes I've ruined before I learned my lesson.)

I dodged another pair of vicious strikes, hopping back a bit as I tossed a wooden kunai with a smoke seal attached where I once stood between the two. Smirking slightly, I snapped my fingers, watching with pride as they were engulfed in a large cloud of smoke, allowing me a small frame of time to gain my bearings and right myself on the water's surface to prepare for my assault.

Wasn't it awesome!?

I could activate my smoke seals remotely by snapping my fingers. It took a while as I had to fiddle around with the structure of the whole damn seal matrix and it took _FOR-_ever for me to put together the trigger and identification nodes but, in the end, it _worked_ and it was _GLORIOUS_.

"_Wait, Shizuka-sama! How come you can make adjustments to a smoke seal but can't finish an explosive seal!?_" You wail and I chuckle at your ignorance, my eye twitching slightly as I roughly ruffle your hair as retribution for having the nerve to question me.

_Because_, my silly reader, between classes (both regular _and_ kunoichi), recovering from the brutal ass beatings received from either Mangetsu or Utakata, training, studying and running errands for money, I had exactly Z-E-R-O hours to dedicate completely to the great arts of fūinjutsu. I had to _make_ time for it, usually during one of Ichijiku-sensei's boring ass lectures—which was pretty hard since the man seemed to have some sort of sixth sense about me not paying him any mind—on Sundays and late at night when I was suffering from insomnia due to my asshole neighbor's pathetic, drunken blithering.

...

...Actually, I suppose it was thanks to him that I was even able to get the idea so I'd _try_ to cut the guy some slack.

(And actually go to the store to get him some tomato juice, celery, antacid and booze. I mean, it wasn't as if I couldn't just transform into the guy to buy beer, as long as Kiri didn't ask for identification.)

You see, I was contemplating slapping an explosive seal right on his forehead but I didn't want to be caught in the resulting blast as I wanted the force of it to be strong enough to disintegrate every molecule of his being, leaving no evidence of his existence behind.

(Well, maybe not _that_ much but enough to where the crime couldn't be traced back to me... Would Kirigakure even try to track me down for murder? An interesting question...)

So, I sat there in my small apartment, wondering how exactly I could make it work.

And then...I snapped my fingers.

Not because I had an epiphany or anything.

But because, earlier that day, I heard this _really_ catchy tune while on Market Street and I couldn't get it out of my head. At the same time, obviously, my neighbor was having one of his nightly tiraids and I was desperate to use _anything _to block out his incessant rantings to think properly at the time.

...

_Then_ I had the epiphany.

_"Why did you decide on snapping your fingers, Shizuka-sama? Couldn't you have just clapped your hands of something?"_ You question and I can't help to roll my eyes.

S_ure_, I could've programmed it to react to me clapping my hands but...it just wasn't _cool_ enough. Nonchalantly snapping your fingers and making things burst into flames was just classy as all hell. It was subtle, didn't require any excess effort and... Why am I even trying to justify this?

Just imagine when I'd be able to implement them onto my explosive seals.

_'Snap!'_

...

_'BOOM!'_

See.

_GLORIOUS_.

Anyways, the way it worked was sort of like a radio signal being picked up by an antenna. The chakra produced when snapping my fingers served as the transmitter, while the seal itself acted as the receiver. It didn't matter how loudly or how softly I snapped my fingers, the only thing that actually mattered was the amount of chakra I expelled. Distance also played a rather large role as well.

The closer I was to the seal, the faster it would activate at the cost of less chakra. The farther I was from the seal, the slower it would take to activate at the cost of more chakra, getting to the point where if I was _too_ far away, it wouldn't activate at all. The whole distance interference thing was sort of inconvenient but, at my current skill level, it's not like I'll be making cataclysmic explosions any time soon so I'd make due for now.

...Anyways, _back to the fight_.

It was Free-for-All Friday, the day where the whole class engages in a battle royale against each other to prepare for large scale conflicts and allow us to gain experience fighting multiple enemies at once, all the while letting us practice our water walking skills, Kirigakure's version of tree walking. Any tactics were allowed, barring anything that could outright kill or cause injuries that could keep one of us out of school for an extended period of time—about two to three weeks was the limit, I think.

...I had to admit, it _was_ pretty fun.

...

The thrill of battle.

The adrenaline pumping through my veins, sending my nerves into overdrive.

Seeing my opponent fall before me in defeat.

_I loved it_.

There was just something so _satisfying_ about it all...!

Grinning savagely, I tossed a few more smoke tags into the air, using the same hand to activate them once they left my grip. Smoke billowed forth, clouding my vision as I darted into the haze, senses locking onto the Hoshigaki brat's chakra signature as I closed in on him. He was bigger and hit harder, therefore making him the larger threat.

I raising my weapon over my head, intent on getting a quick knockout. I brought it down in a sharp arc—

"Water Release: Violent Water Wave!"

—only for my attack to completely miss, sending my body careening forth and completely disrupting the chakra flow I had to my feet. With waving arms, I fell into the cool waters due to the resulting ripples of Mangetsu's jutsu. I yelped loudly, spluttering as I used my hands as an anchor to pull the rest of my body out of the water. Struggling to stay upright as I groped around for my lost weapon, I couldn't help but curse the ivory-haired brat.

He just _had_ to show off!

So what if he could use a C-rank water ninjutsu and transform into water!? What if he was the top student!?

Who cared!? I didn't!

It's not like anybody cared!

(Made me want to strangle him! _Ugh_! I didn't even _have_ an elemental ninjutsu to use!)

Belatedly, I felt something grip my ankle. Then—

"Ah, fuc—!"

I was underwater, face-to-face with a grinning Mangetsu. My eyes narrowed as I silently thanked the heavens that I managed to suck in a breath of air before I was completely submerged.

_Won't do me any good_, I mentally scoffed as I managed to snatch up my bokken. _I suck monkey balls at underwater combat._

Or combat where I was outnumbered. I mean, yeah, I could take on two clan kids but I had to use both my astounding intellect along with my fantastic fūinjutsu skills to plan surprise attacks—hence the overabundance of smoke tags—to get a one-up on them and turn the pace of battle in my favor. I knew I was great but even _I_ had admit that I wasn't able to fight at my full potential when I was on equal footing with others.

_Especially_ when I was underwater.

I did my best in trying to mold the water around my head to form a sort of breathing bubble—how most Kiri shinobi were able to breathe underwater—but it was significantly harder than water walking. It wasn't something I could do very well and the bubble always fell after a few minutes, which usually was enough time for me to either finish a battle or get back to the surface...but _not_ if I had a brat who could move faster _in_ water than out of water pressing my back to a proverbial wall.

So, I found myself with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach as I watched my two other opponents drop down from the surface. My teeth gnashed together as I made to swim back to the surface but, _unsurprisingly_, Mangetsu was by my side in an instant, gripping my wrists and keeping me locked in one place. I struggled but, for a seven year old, the little shit sure did have a monster grip—or was it because of chakra-enhanced muscles? Didn't the Hydration Technique allow you to buff up your limbs or something?

_Did it really matter right now?_

I gave him the most acidic, hateful glare I could muster but he only laughed at me, shoulders hunching and shaking with the force of his laughter as if I'd told the most brilliant joke in the world. Anger distorted my vision as I lunged, snapping my teeth at his too close shoulder, only for it to merge with the water.

This only caused him to laugh _harder_.

I lunged forth once more, only to be interrupted by a harsh blow to the back that had my half-formed bubble dispersing. As soon as the Hōzuki brat's hold left, another blow to the stomach had m hunched over in pain.

Great.

Now I was being double teamed by two vindictive munchkins. Unfortunately, they were too stupid to realize that Mangetsu was just using them to wear me out; he was going to get rid of them after all was said and through. But, instead of teaming up against Mangetsu, they let petty revenge blind them and now we were _all_ going to lose to him.

(I hate idiots.)

My eyes caught sight of my floating bokken and I wondered if I'd be able to perform the Body Replacement with it but, of course, Mangetsu must've been psychic as he snatched up the practice weapon, sent me a impish wave and swam up to the surface.

(Why did Mangetsu like to bully me? _He _was the one who tried to kill _me_, not the other way around!)

One hit had me reeling. Another had me seeing stars. The third one had my teeth rattling and—

_Did one of them just KNOCK out a TOOTH!?_

...

..

.

(Running out of air...)

...

..

.

(Vision fading...)

...

..

(Didn't these dumb asses remember they weren't supposed to _kill_ me?)

Blearily, I saw something..._red_...out the corner of my eye.

(Was that _my_ hair? No...)

...

..

.

Something gripped my shirt and—

In the next moment, I was coughing, breathing in large gulps of air and wiping away the thick clumps of hair sticking to my face. Channeling chakra to my hands, I once again placed them on the water's surface and began the task of pulling myself up from the water and righting my self as I contemplated what the hell just happened.

Okay so, first off, _yes_... I was missing a tooth.

(_Shit._)

Next, something—some_ONE_—had helped me but who?

My eyes searched the lake battlefield, stopping briefly to watch Mangetsu and Utakata face off against one another. Feeling anger boil up, I quickly went back to scanning the lake, ignoring some of the other minor battles before...I saw it.

That hair...

Ameyuri Ringo.

She was there, fighting off the Hoshigaki and Kinkan brats. _She_ was the one who rescued me?

Why?

Surely, it couldn't have been out the kindness of her heart...but that seemed to be the only viable explanation. Here, I had thought Gōzu was the only person that was _genuinely_ kind but Ameyuri had _helped _me on Free-for-All Friday, the day when it was _encouraged_ to backstab and plot against each other.

She had helped _me_, the girl no one liked and everyone avoided.

...

In that moment, I was..._enthralled_ by her, for a lack of better words.

I could see her, the person she would grow to become. One of the greatest shinobi ever produced from Kirigakure, she was right in front of me and she had _helped me_.

(_Lightning flickered around her as she spun her body and swords in a deadly waltz_—)

...

...And, in that moment, I realized Ameyuri was the oil I needed to fuel my flames.

**~{VII}~**

"Hey."

Ameyuri lifted her head, blinking owlishly as she looked up at the speaker. She made a questioning noise as she took in the bright red hair and blank stare of Shizuka.

Weird.

Shizuka _never_ spoke to anyone in class.

_Ever_.

"Uh... Yeah?"

The redhead stared for a bit longer before abruptly tilting her head away. "...I just wanted to say...thanks or helping me earlier." She paused as she nervously ran a hand through a loose bit of hair.

Her lips formed an 'o' shaped as she recalled the day's events before she sheepishly scratched her head, cheeks pink in embarrassment. "Oh, _that_?" She chuckled nervously while shrugging. "Well, Mangetsu's always playing dirty and..." She shrugged again, ears burning in anxiousness.

(Well, everyone played dirty on Free-for-All Friday but that wasn't the point. Ameyuri just didn't like seeing people gettting ganged up on like that. So brutal. Too personal—)

"Still." Shizuka's normally level voice quivered slightly, causing Ameyuri's eyes widen in surprise as she saw a brief, timid smile appear on the redhead's face. "You came to my rescue and it...it was...really _cool_."

"Do you want to be friends?" The redhead blurted out after a short second.

"What!?"

"Uh! Nevermind!" With that, the redhead abruptly dashed off, leaving the maroon-haired girl to stare off in confusion—and slight _wonder_—after her.

After a whole year of being in the same class as Shizuka, it was a well-known fact that she was unfriendly and generally unapproachable. She wouldn't go out of her way to bother and antagonize others—like Mangetsu—but, at the same time, she also didn't exude the same introverted and quiet aura Utakata did that also repelled people but was far less threatening.

Even then, Ameyuri felt she was just..._bland_, like plain oatmeal. She didn't react to much, if anything.

The most emotion Ameyuri had seen from her was during kunoichi classes—when she was playing a specific "role"—and, on the first day of school, when Mangetsu had flooded out the entire classroom and nearly drowned her. And, when she had to fight either Utakata or Mangetsu, she would gnash her teeth together really violently. Also, during sparring when she grinned so deviously when smacking someone with her bokken but that was _everyone_, barring Utakata. Oh! And, when Ichijiku-sensei made jabs at her, her eye would twitch really bad.

(Okay, so maybe Shizuka wasn't bland. She showed emotions, just not_ good _emotions.)

Shizuka...

She had _spoken_, though.

To _her_.

And _she_ wanted to be friends.

With _her_.

...Was it a bad omen?

...

Ameyuri snorted at her own silly thoughts as she caught sight of her mother's burgundy hair. Her lips turned down into a distinct frown as the woman greeted her with a smile. Ameyuri was unhappy about having to go to her monthly appointments when she wanted to be at home, happily practicing some of the moves on her father's old scrolls.

Appointments were _so_ boring.

...

(She wondered when she wouldn't need to go anymore.)

**~{VII}~**

From then on, I began watching Ameyuri Ringo from a distance.

(No, I _wasn't_ stalking her.)

It was just... I had to be sure about her before attempting to offer my friendship again.

(No, again. I _wasn't _afraid of rejection that first time! ...I just had somewhere to be, that's all.)

After spending a night perusing through my character dossier, I knew a few things about her. She was a future member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, becoming the wielder of Kiba, the twin swords imbued with lightning. Like most of her future teammates, she was sadistic and enjoyed a good fight and was well-known for never letting her enemies escape from her, going so far as to hunt them down if they ran from her.

However, she dies young from an incurable disease. How young is unknown but, considering a ninja's average life expectancy of thirty, I'm assuming she bites the dust before that age.

She wasn't like what I had written down.

Not this little kid.

_This_ Ameyuri Ringo was a friendly, cheerful little thing and it was completely weird since we'd all eventually have to kill each other in order to progress in rank. She apparently didn't remember that I set her desk on fire—which, of course, was _very _good—and, even then, she didn't seem to hold any grudges for any wrongs directed towards her. She was talkative, chattering contentedly with the other girls during kunoichi classes and always smiling during regular classes, even when the Kinkan brats picked on her during lunch.

It..._confused_ me. A lot.

She was the third best student in our class. Why didn't she just knock the hell out of them?

_Why_ were they bothering her in the first place?

Why was she so _happy_ all the time?

Wasn't she _dying_?

It irked me, not knowing about her when I _knew_ about her. So, I decided to swallow my reluctance and confront the girl with a proposal of friendship again, this time more refined than the last. That was how I stumbled upon her being tormented. Well, not really "stumbled," as it sort of happened every other day during lunch but this was the day I decided to put a stop to it.

"—u're worthless!" A peach-haired kid, a Kinkan brat (who needed names, right?), exclaimed as he roughly tugged on one of Ameyuri's bangs. "Just like your traitor dad!"

The girl flinched but otherwise remained passive as another one, one with orange hair, pushed her to the ground. From there, they decided it would be better to start kicking the girl like a dog and it was then that I had to keep myself from turning away and going about my business. If you couldn't help yourself—especially when _you_ were _stronger_—I had little to no interest in giving a helping hand. Unfortunately, I _needed_ Ameyuri to get stronger so, suppressing my disgust, I strode up to the little group.

Wasting no time with words, I grabbed a fist full of Peachy's hair from behind, roughly yanking him back and giving him a swift hit to the throat. As he choked, momentarily stunned from my abrupt attack, I took the chance to give him a swift but brutal kick. Sensing the orange-haired brat rush up behind me, I simply side-stepped, holding out a leg for him to trip over. I snorted slightly as I watched him clatter over his cohort before I roughly slapped a smoke seal on the back of his head.

Snapping my fingers with a smirk of smugness on my face, the four of us were engulfed in a haze of smoke. Deciding it was best to retreat for the moment, I quickly located the downed Ameyuri, snagged her arm and pulled her away from the temporarily dazed kids to a place of absolute safety, the girl's restroom back inside the school.

With a small huff, I released my hold on the girl, letting her drop to the concrete floor. It was silent, the only noise between us was Ameyuri's harsh panting. It was obvious the girl needed some time to recuperate from the event and I _tried _to give the girl the time but I felt myself growing impatient, my abilities' lack of progress getting the better of me. Squatting down next to her, I poked her shoulder to get her attention.

"Hey." I pointed a finger directly in her face, just to make sure she was paying attention to me. "Be my friend."

Her eyebrows furrowed in response. "H-huh?"

"Be my friend." I repeated.

"Why—"

"Be. My. Friend."

She blinked widely, staring at me in what was most assuredly _awe_ at the chance of being friends with _me_, before nodding her head slowly. With a huff and nod of triumph, I snagged one of her sleeves, using it to pull her up off the ground. We stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, though, it was probably only a few seconds. For some reason, I could feel myself getting..._embarrassed_.

(Oh, how I hate that feeling.)

I quickly turned my head, ignoring the heat surging into my cheeks. "_What_?"

"Why...are you being nice to me?" She blurted before quickly backpedaling at the look on my face. "I mean, not that you _aren't _nice but you never really _act_ like it!" She grimaced. "I mean, uh—!"

"I'm not nice." I agreed, cutting her off. "But I helped you because you helped me." I felt my cheeks burn brighter. "No one's ever defended me like you have..." My hand lifted to cup one of my hot cheeks, gaze trained on the floor. "I just...wanted to return the favor, is all."

She tilted her head to the side. "That's it?"

(No, I'm getting close to you so I can start getting stronger to beat Mangetsu, Utakata and just about anyone else who decides it's a good idea to get on my bad side. Maybe even you, too. I'm going to get as much power and training from you as I can before you decide to keel over.

This isn't a friendship, it's an investment, Ameyuri. You don't make_ friends _in Kirigakure, you make connections so, when the time comes, you'll have something to keep you afloat when the world tries to drown you.

I'm _not_ your friend. You are _beneath_ me and you are _expendable_ because you're marked for death, anyways—)

"...Yes." I responded evenly, eyes lifting to meet hers.

She searched my face through narrowed eyes, attempting to see through my words but, after a moment, her gaze relented and that cheerful expression took it's place. "All right, then." She held out a hand. "Friends?"

I eyed her hand in masked disdain but grabbing it regardless, a smaller smile touching my lips. "Friends." I turned towards the faucet, turning it on and pulling out my hair brush. "Now...let's get you cleaned up, all right?"

She smiled brightly, cheeks lighting up in happiness as she nodded eagerly.

It took all I had not to sneer in the face of her innocence.

(You're so cute and naive, Ameyuri. Too bad you're going to die—)

**~{VII}~**

In the couple weeks of becoming "friends" with Ameyuri, I finally felt as if I had made some progress. By following her rather basic explanations and presentations, I was able to figure out how to convert small amounts of my own chakra into fire (_yes_, once again by snapping my fingers so sue me) and, using chakra, I could manipulate the shape of a preexisting flame. Hell, I was even on my way to learning a lesser fireball technique.

(Now, all I needed to do was finish that explosive seal and then we'd be able to see some _real _fireworks!)

It _angered_ me, though, that I couldn't figure it out on my own. As soon as I began hanging out with Ameyuri, it was like the veil that was covering my eyes had been lifted. What was it about her that made once difficult things infinitely more easier? Was it because she was a girl and I'd been around boys for too long?

I didn't understand it and I didn't like it but I sucked it up and plastered a smile on my face because I apparently needed her to get stronger and progress.

(Just a little longer and I'd be able to surpass them all.)

"Thanks for being my friend, Shizuka." She had said softly, smiling so happily.

I only hummed in response, returning her smile with one of my own.

Her expression turned bashful. "You... you won't _leave_ me, will you?"

"Not if you don't want me to." I said as I held her hand tightly, smile turning slightly brighter. "I won't leave."

(If only you knew—)

**~{VII}~**

"Shizu-chan... Have you... Have you _replaced _me?"

Her hands ceased in their movements and Gōzu immediately regretted even asking the question.

"N-never mi—" He tried backpedaling but the redhead stopped him.

"Why would you ask something like that?"

He grimaced lightly, head ducking down to avoid her piercing stare. He gulped and urged the words to come out his mouth but they seemed to be stuck in his throat, Shizuka's gaze making it difficult to even breath properly. Nervously running his hands through his hair, he chanced a look up at her.

"I-I... Well, y-you hardly hang o-out with me anymore and I—" His voice went weak. "A-and I-I've seen you w-with that girl a lot." He tried to play it off by shrugging his shoulders and smiling. "Nevermind, it's n-not a big deal."

The redhead squinted at him before shaking her head and continuing her project. "I've been busy, that's all. I'm in a higher class than you which means I have more to focus on."

"I know." His smile was disappeared as he rested his chin on his knees, arms wrapping around his legs. "I was...just kind of lonely."

The room fell silent. Gōzu felt his lips starting to tremble and his eyes begin to sting. He did his best to calm himself but it was no use.

Why was it he was always crying in front of Shizuka?

He didn't understand it. She was the one person he didn't want to seem so weak and fragile in front of and yet it was always in her presence that he always ended up crying.

He heard her sigh softly before saying, "Don't cry, Gōzu. I _haven't_ replaced you with anyone." He felt her hand drop on his head. "You know you're my very first friend. No one will ever change that, okay?"

Her words made him feel better, as they always did. "I-If you say so, Shizu-chan."

"I do say so." She continued, "And, if you want, you could come with me when I hang out with Ameyuri." A small smile appeared on her lips. "We always end up really battered when we get through training and it'd be nice to have someone patch us up. Don't you still want to become a medic-nin?"

"Y-yeah." His lips curved up into a small smile. "I'll come, if you want me to."

(Please say it, Shizu-chan.)

"Gōzu, you better come with me when I go training with Ameyuri so you can heal me." She ordered, pointing her calligraphy brush at him.

"If you say so, Shizu-chan." He couldn't help but smile at her order, warmth filling his limbs.

"I _do_ say." She nodded shortly, before going back to her project, something about "explosions," if he recalled correctly.

Content, Gōzu picked up his discarded book of anatomy and the chakra network, excited that his dream would be of some use to his friend. Before he could resume from his place, Shizuka stopped him.

"Why _were_ you so lonely? Where's Meizu?" She questioned. "Doing something stupid as usual?"

He stiffened slightly. "A-ah, well..." He toyed with the edges of his book. "Meizu... He has a new friend that keeps him busy as well."

"Ah." She said simply, indicating for him to continue in her own way.

Gōzu nodded distractedly. "Mm, he trains and hangs out with him a lot. I... I don't like him very much."

"And why is that?"

...How exactly could he explain it? "I...I don't like him because...I think he's a bad influence on Meizu."

Shizuka sighed again. "Gōzu, don't be vague."

"I-I _know_. He, well, he... He makes Meizu stay out late and I think he bullies him because Meizu always comes home with bruises and cuts." His cheeks flushed. "A-and he..._scares_ me, Shizu-chan. There's something about him... He has this look in his eyes and his _chakra_..."

"...Chakra?"

From the corner of his eye, he saw Shizuka's hand twitch and her shoulders shiver slightly. He couldn't help but wonder why Shizuka would have such a reaction to a person she'd never even met before.

He frowned as he rubbed his lip with a finger. "Mn, his chakra feels..._evil_, like a...like a _monster_ or something."

The redhead's eyebrows furrowed as she looked at him. "What did you say his name was?"

He _hadn't_ said any names but, "He said his name was Zabuza."

She stared at him for the longest time, her eyes unfocused as if she were thinking particularly hard about something. Gradually, her green eyes began to widen and her mouth began to part as if she'd seen something..._ghastly_ and, for the first time in his life, he saw an emotion on Shizuka's face that he didn't think he'd _ever_ see: _**fear**_.

"S-Shizu-chan...?" He reached out towards her anxiously. "S-Shizuka, what's wrong?"

Abruptly, she dropped her brush, hands going to grasp his shoulders tightly. "Gōzu."

"Y-yes!?"

"You need to get your brother away from Zabuza. He's _bad_." She puncuated the last word with a small jostle. "He'll _hurt_ Meizu. And you. And possibly me. And _a lot _of other people, too."

"But, why—"

"He's _crazy_, Gōzu." She released him, eyes peering at him widely, scaring him even further. "Don't wait until it's too late. Don't wait until something happens to your brother."

...

He wasn't sure how to respond but Gōzu believed Shizuka's words.

He believed her warnings.

If not for the bad feeling this Zabuza had already given him, Shizuka's reaction alone would've been enough for him.

_No one_ had _ever_ made such expressions appear on her face or such words leave her mouth.

He believed in Shizuka.

...

And he didn't trust Zabuza.

**~{VII}~**

I hadn't seen that coming.

Meizu hanging out with Zabuza Momochi, the psychotic little brat that would eventually slaughter a whole bunch of other brats in cold blood.

I knew that, once they got older, the twins would defect from Kirigakure along with Zabuza, hinting at some kind of mutual trust or understanding. I hadn't expected them to come into contact with each other until they were at least genin or chūnin, which was _years_ away from now.

...

But Meizu had been hanging out with this kid for who-knows-how-long. _Why_? What could Zabuza give Meizu? Was it for the same reason I was friends with Ameyuri?

Could it be the other way around? Supposedly, Zabuza wasn't even a student when he decided it was a good idea to murder a whole graduating class. Where had he gained the skills to pull off such a feat? There was no conceivable way for him, a street urchin, to somehow gain enough strength to slaughter an_ entire_ graduating class consisting of kids that had trained far longer than he had.

...

What could this possibly change?

Was it something insignificant? Or was it something that could forever alter the course of history?

I hadn't thought much about how my presence could have changed anything and, for all I knew, this was nothing.

Or, it was an absolute disaster.

(I told myself it wasn't because I was worried for Gōzu nor his idiotic brother, who was the one that even brought this on; I was merely worried about my own ass.)

...But, I had to be careful.

I hadn't met him before but Zabuza Momochi was someone whose path I'd rather not cross so early on, especially considering he hasn't found that kid that made him grow a heart—Haku, I think his name was. He wasn't like Mangetsu, who was mostly harmless (even if he was better than me); Zabuza was on another league that I, as much as it hurts to say, can't reach at this moment in time, just like Mangetsu and Utakata.

...

I didn't like this.

...The only thing I could do, however, was wait and become stronger.

Stronger than everyone...

I just needed patience.

Patience, Shizuka.

Greatness comes to those who wait.

**~{VII}~**

Jūzō snorted softly as he watched the two brats beat the hell out of each other.

Ah, youth. He remembered it.

For some reason, he had been thinking about it a lot these days. Especially when he looked at brats like these, so driven by determination and the need to prove themselves.

To the point that it almost consumed them whole.

...

In a way, it was like looking at his younger self.

_Twice._

He threw a rock at Meizu's head, smirking slightly and nodding in satisfaction when the kid managed to side step both the rock and a hit from Zabuza.

The brat had changed over the time he'd been absent. From what he could gather, Meizu had been plopped down in Class C while his brother and Shizuka had been placed in higher ones—the latter managing to land herself in Class A, which he found funny since he purposefully didn't teach them how to use chakra so they would struggle.

(_What_? It was funny.)

It seemed to only serve as another reason for Meizu to hate the girl, besides the fact that she managed to monopolize all his brother's attention without even trying.

The younger twin seemed less immature and more focused these days, like all he had left was the burning desire to lop off the girl's head and present it to his brother.

(He almost felt bad for Gōzu, he'd heard stories of another Kiri shinobi killing his older brother over some broad. Kid better watch out.)

His eyes cut over to the other brat, Zabuza.

Now, he was an interesting one.

From first looks, you'd see nothing but a dirty, disheveled brat who rummaged around in garbage cans for food; nothing different from the other street rats that roamed Kirigakure's alleyways. Only by looking closely would you be able to see that feral, almost crazed look in his eyes and only by being shinobi would you be able to sense that incredibly potent chakra simmering within him.

Even when barely giving him a passing glance, Jūzō could see the potential within him.

The complete destruction the kid would cause. The utter havoc.

Zabuza was going to become a complete monster.

_Just like him_.

He felt his lips curling into a toothy grin.

...

Yes... He remembered youth.

* * *

**.**

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**A/N:** Ugh, I finally finished this chapter. It took a lot out of me for some reason T.T

Shizuka is fourth best in her class. At first, I was tempted to make her deadlast but I decided against it. She naturally has an advantage over the other students with her developed mind, allowing her to pick up on things quicker but, even though she picks up on it faster, it doesn't make her the best. Like her body takes a bit to catch up, if that makes sense. As for her beating clan kids, she explained that: _"I__ knew I was great but even I had admit that I wasn't able to fight at my full potential when I was on equal footing with others."_

So, she has to mask her movements with smoke tags. Which she can activate by snapping her fingers.

Like she's Roy Mustang or something.

Suprisingly, the inspiration for that didn't come from FMA. It actually came from _Final Fantasy X_, where Shiva performs her signature move, _Diamond Dust_. She encases her enemy in ice and, then she snaps her fingers, shattering the ice. Tots classy, if you ask Shizuka (and me).

Hm, I hadn't really realized _that _many people were using fūinjutsu in their SI's. I'm sorry about that but the only thing I can say is that the way Shizuka utilizes seals will be completely different. She doesn't want to be a Seal Master, she just wants to create a custom fūinjutsu style that no one will be able to copy. I guess the best thing I can say is, _"It's all about the execution_."

So, Shizuka becomes friends with Ameyuri. If Ameyuri seems OOC, remember that she is still a child. Don't worry, hopefully, as the story goes on, she'll become something that's closer to her canon counterpart. It took me a while to devise a reason for her canon counterpart's behavior and I hope I'll be able to convey it properly throughout the story.

Um, Zabuza appears in passing (sort of). Also Jūzō-san appears again and is apparently training Meizu and Zabuza without Shizuka or Gōzu's knowing. It came to me a few nights ago and, don't worry, Meizu won't be replacing Zabuza or anything. It's actually more development for Meizu and Jūzō. It also gave a reason for why Zabuza was able to massacre a whole class of graduates. Next chapter, I'll probably expand on how all of them meet.

I think that's it... Oh, yeah.

Shizuka lost her first tooth so there's that :)

Anyways, thanks for the reviews, favs and follows. They make me very happy as usual XD

**14/05/2015: Basically retconned that "_having-large-chakra-stores-equals-bad-chakra-control."_ The more I thought about it, re-read through the manga and noted all the characters with massive amounts of chakra never reporting having bad chakra control, I realized how idiotic it sounded even when I "thought" I had solid evidence of it. Hell, if it were true, I'm pretty sure the wikia would've posted it on the chakra page. Then again, maybe not... The wikia isn't _always_ reliable.**


	8. DROP VIII - Survival Training

**Disclaimer: **_**Naruto**_** © Masashi Kishimoto. The only things I own are my OCs and I gain nothing from writing this story besides the pleasure.**

* * *

**Warnings:** Language, more specifically, the F-bomb being dropped pretty often. Mild depiction of dismemberment and murder.

* * *

**.Scarlet Waters - Chapter Eight - Survival Training.**

* * *

_"Thank you! Come again!"_

_He muttered a word of thanks, intent on getting back to Onishi-san and dropping off the groceries she'd requested he get for her. The money she promised him was just enough to buy the cheapest shuriken and kunai practice set and he needed it if he wanted to keep up with everyone else and become stronger._

_Throwing his hood over his head and zipping up his jacket, he stepped out into the dreary, rainy streets of Kiri and proceeded on his way. _

_After a couple of minutes, he quickened his pace, anxious to get back to his elderly neighbor and retrieve his award. He wanted to make it to the supply store before closing time so that he could begin practicing tonight. Catching sight of his usual shortcut to his apartment complex, he ducked into the alley nestled between a restaurant and bookstore._

CLANG!

_He stopped abruptly at the sound, head tilting to the side as he squinted into the dimmed alley. Another sharp _CLANG_ made him jump ever so slightly and he took a hesitant step forward, clutching the paper bag closer to his chest._

_"H-hello?" He called out uncertainly, mentally preparing himself if the need to protect himself arose. "I-Is someone there?" _

_There was no answer, merely another loud noise along with some minor rustling. Meizu gulped, moving to turn on his heel and flee but he faltered when he realized how much of a wimp he was being._

_He didn't have anything to be afraid of__! He was training to become a ninja! If anything, people should be afraid of _him_!_

_With a small huff, he squared his shoulders and marched into the dank alleyway. The metallic ringing and scuffling became louder as he drew closer to the source of the noise and the younger twin nibbled on his lip nervously as a shadow began to form in the darkness in front of his eyes._

_Then..._

_He stopped._

_Because, out of the shadows, came a boy._

_He didn't look much older than him, maybe a year or two older. He was drenched, his tattered shirt and shorts doing nothing to protect him against the weather. His eyes were narrowed at the trash cans before him, as if they had offended him and, instantly Meizu knew that the kid must've been searching for food but to no avail._

_Apparently feeling Meizu's gaze on the side of his face, the boy's dark eyes snapped to where he stood, sending a shiver up Meizu's spine at the sheer intensity of them._

_"The hell you lookin' at?" His voice was a little hoarse, as if he hadn't spoken in a long time. "Can't ya see 'm busy?"_

_Meizu squinted at the boy. "Where's yer mum? Or yer da?"_

_"They ain't here." Was the snappish reply._

_..._

_This boy... _

_He was an orphan like him. Meizu could tell because the boy's response was just a little too quick and a little too defensive, like he had hit a sore spot on him._

_...But, at the same time, the boy _wasn't_ like him._

_..._

_For some reason, he reminded Meizu of a wet puppy. _

_...A mangy, wet puppy._

_..._

_"Hey..." He muttered abruptly while pulling a snack cake from the bag. "Wanna be friends?"_

_The words came out before he even had time to think about them. _

_He didn't regret them, though. _

_Maybe he felt bad for the kid, having to resort to rummaging through garbage cans just to have food in his stomach. The kid in front of him had been abandoned, discarded by his parents, his family, the people in the village and deemed nothing more than an annoyance._

_If that. _

_For some reason, the kid kinda reminded him of himself. This kid was what he _could've_ been had he not ended up in the orphanage with Granny Kasumi. That must've been the reason why he'd offered some random kid he'd just met in an alley to be his friend._

_The boy stared at him for a long while, eyes hard and narrowed deeply. Meizu felt a small surge of triumph as the boy inched towards him cautiously before quickly snatching the offering from his outstretched hand. Ripping open the plastic with his teeth, the street rat stuffed the treat into his mouth, chewing rather loudly and obnoxiously._

_The boy finished in less than a second, using a wet sleeve to wipe crumbs from his mouth. His dark eyes flew to Meizu's face, almost making the boy take a wary step back from the emotion dancing within them._

_"You..." _

_He straightened up, making himself just a few inches taller than Meizu before striding up to the other boy. Then..._

_"I don't need no fuckin' handouts!"_

_...He kicked him in the shin._

_..._

_(Maybe he should've just left him there.)_

* * *

_Ram._

His eyes closed in concentration, his hands conforming to create the seal to manipulate chakra for his technique. He expelled the chakra in the next few seconds, feeling his body melt into the water below his feet. A grin covered his face at his success and, after a few more minutes of hiding, he peeked up from his position.

"C'mon, brat." Jūzō-san's voice rang out. "Don't tell me you're happy with that shit. The other brat's already doin' the _Water Prison Technique_."

Meizu's lips pursed as he rose up from his hiding spot, glaring lightly as he watched with concealed amazement and envy at the sight of Zabuza restraining one of Jūzō-san's clones with his jutsu. The older boy looked back over his shoulder with a roguish smile, something much more innocent than his usual psychotic grins.

"Ya see this, Meizu!?" He bounced on the balls of his feet, ignorant to the imprisoned clone's movements. "I fuckin' _nailed _that shi—"

His words were cut off by a punch to the face by Jūzō-san's clone. Meizu cringed at the brutality of it. Then, he felt himself laughing as Zabuza picked himself up off the ground, clutching his face and stumbling around in a daze like the drunk guy who lived next to _she-who-would-not-be-named_.

(_Shizuka_, if it wasn't obvious.)

A sharp blow to the top of his head plunged him back into the water and he groaned quietly as pain shot down from the top of his head to the very tips of his toes. He resurfaced a few minutes later, floating on his belly and clutching his head in agony. He felt himself being lifted up by the back of his shirt and then thrown across the clearing, his body colliding into Zabuza's, leaving them in a pile of pain.

"I done told you brats 'bout losin' focus like that! All yer enemy needs is one _second_—no, one _millisecond_—and then it's lights out for ya!" Jūzō-san yelled out in irritation, a trickle of Killing Instinct slicing through the air. "How long is it gonna take before it's buried in those hard heads!?"

Meizu vaguely felt Zabuza's body tensing beneath his as a quiet whimper escaped his lips. Abruptly, the oppressive force weighting down on them dissipated and his muscles relaxed. He slid off of Zabuza's prone body, whining softly at the aches and exhaustion settling into his form.

"Get up an' get over here, both o' ya." The Swordsman grunted after a short sigh and they both scurried to obey. "Meizu, what's yer class working on?"

The younger boy blinked in thought as he rubbed his arm. "Mn... My class is workin' on kenjutsu and taijutsu and we started basic battle tactics, too.'"

The Swordsman nodded slightly. "What's Kirigakure's signature style?"

"Uhh..." He tapped his lip, eyes searching the sky as he pondered. "Mn... It's called the Shifting Water Serpent Dance. Works with pretty much any sword but you can't use certain moves without the right one. Supposed to make it easy for ya to switch between using a sword and your fists...if yer stupid enough to lose yer weapon."

Zabuza covered his snort with a hand while Jūzō-san merely laughed at his answer, dropping a heavy hand on his head to ruffle up his already messy hair. "All right, all right. Show me the beginning kata."

He formed a seal and another clone pulled away from his body, sending a few stray droplets onto Meizu's face. Retrieving his bokken, he firmly planted his feet and began his movements against the still figure.

_Double Side._

A simple movement. Swinging the sword left and then right.

_Breaching Side._

He stepped forward, swiftly swinging his blade from the left and angling it up. The clone stumbled backwards, water erupting from the gash in his chest before it quickly reformed as if he hadn't hit it.

_Cap Smash._

Another simple move. A brutal hit to the kneecap with the sword's hilt.

_Vertical Descent._

Darting back a bit, Meizu rushed forward as fast as possible before jumping into the air and bringing his weapon down in a sharp arc, taking off the clone's head and part of its shoulder. The clone burst, sending a spray of water onto him and sending him flopping onto the ground. His lips formed a pout as he glared up at Jūzō-san's chuckling form.

"That it?"

"Nu-uh." He bit the inside of his cheek.

Meizu pushed himself up from the ground and shook the water from his face as Jūzō-san created another clone. Once again, he got into position, this time with his bokken's tip near the ground.

_Sharp Rise._

A small smirk appeared on his face as he brought the weapon up, right between the clone's legs. The wooden sword slid through the clone, splitting him in half. He laughed at Jūzō-san's choke and sent a cheeky grin over to Zabuza, who was laughing just as much as he at the implication. His laughter was cut short at the man's sharp punch to his head and he whined loudly at the abuse.

"Stop fuckin' around, brat! Damn!"

"But 'm through!"

The Swordsman sent him a withering glare. "Fuckin' hell." He rubbed his temples in exasperation and disappointment. "That was fuckin' pathetic, Meizu."

"_Hey!_ I worked hard to learn that shit!"

"And it _still_ fuckin' sucks, which is _worse _'cause you actively _tried_ to do good."

He waved away Meizu's cries of indignation. "Shut up, brat. I never said I wasn't gonna help ya get better."

"Why _are_ you helpin' us anyways, Old Man?" Zabuza asked. "Don't you got better stuff to do?"

"What's it to ya? Shouldn't you be glad anyone even gave you the time of day? I mean, you're just a fuckin' street rat." He jabbed a thumb at Meizu, ignoring Zabuza's heated glare. "And you're just _plain_ as fuck—you'd probably go to jail instead of dyin' in battle like a real man."

"_Hey!_"

"Both o' ya ain't _shit_ an' you're not gonna be _shit_ without me trainin' ya." His smirk died down into something a bit tamer. "...But, I was like that too. A real long time ago."

"So what the hell happened?" Zabuza grunted, irritated about the man's insults.

"I met my predecessor—my master—by chance. The old man said he saw something in me, something that reminded him o' himself. Said I was gonna shade the ground I walked on, so long as I listened to everything he said." He shrugged his shoulders. "He took me in, trained me, taught me everything I needed to survive in this hellhole of a country."

A memory entered Meizu's head at that moment. "Predecessor? Wasn't that Matsu Ichijiku, the Swordsman before you? We learned about him in class. Didn't he get killed or somethin'?"

Jūzō-san's head tilted to the side slightly as his eyes unfocused. "Yup. _I_ killed 'im."

There was a pregnant pause between the three of them, the two children's eyes wide with shock and curiosity and the Swordman's head still tilted oddly to the side. The boys shared a look, silently arguing with each other to ask the question burning on both of their tongues. Zabuza attempted to frighten Meizu into submission with a crazed glower but the boy remained steadfast with the pout etched on his face.

Unable to resist, Zabuza sighed heavily. "Why'd ya do it?"

The question seemed to snap the man out of his trance. His normal smirk reappeared on his face as he bonked the two kids on their heads. "Classified info, brats. But that's not the point I was gettin' to. What I was gonna say was this: The old man saw somethin' in me and I see the same thing in the two o' you."

"I'm one of the strongest men in the village—no, the whole damn _world_! I paint battlefields red with the blood o' anyone dumb enough to stand before me! All 'cause I _listened_." His grin turned sharper, brandishing rows of jagged teeth as he pointed his thumb towards himself. "And, just like me, you'll shade the ground you walk on so long as you listen to any orders given to ya."

"That's what a ninja does." Meizu found himself reciting. "'_A ninja is nothing more than a tool for their village and Kage, loyal and willing to die for their country. Death in service of Kirigakure is nothing but the highest of honors.'_" He tilted his head to the side. "That's what Ibari-sensei told us at least." Meizu shrugged a shoulder. "Don't know how I feel 'bout it, though. Don't like Kiri too much."

"Me neither." Zabuza spat out with crossed arms. "No one gives a rat's ass 'bout ya in this fuckin' place. Dumb fucks, the lot of 'em."

Jūzō-san seemed to find this hilarious as he broke into such a loud laugh that it seemed to shake the very core of Meizu's body. Sharing an uncomfortable glance with his friend, they waited patiently for the Swordsman's fit to die down until only a few chuckles remained.

"Oh kami, I needed that fuckin' laugh." He wiped away a stray tear and patted his stomach. "But, yeah, seems pretty fuckin' common here in Kiri, actually. Unless you're a ninja, nobody gives ya the time of fuckin' day. That's why you gotta listen to me, though."

Clapping his hands together, he jerked a thumb back towards the village. "Enough with the chitchat, though. How's 'bout I take you guys to look at some swords? There's this really fun thing called _tsujigiri_ that we do to test out new weapons and shit."

"You're gettin' us _swords_!?" Meizu gasped in amazement. He grabbed Zabuza's arm, snatching him up from the ground with an almost inhuman strength. "Let's go, Zabuza!"

The older boy yelled out in protest but followed after Meizu, neither of them waiting to see if the Swordsman was following.

...

Behind them, Jūzō Biwa allowed a tiny, secret smile to cross his thin lips.

**~{VIII}~**

"All right, brats! We're going on a mock field mission in Yōkai's Forest!"

At the beginning of year three, kunoichi classes ceased for me and we began moving into the more tactical and military aspects of shinobi life such as basic warfare as well as survival skills in the wilderness.

Tactics was the first of several mandatory subjects we were expected to learn during our time as students. The course was merely an introductory one, available for specialization once genin, if one so chose to. There were also other courses for specialization but they weren't mandatory and could only be taken in the fourth and final year of academy.

Because our next rank was genin (_if_ we actually survived), we learned of common 4-man unit plans, the typical team formations and the individual unit roles a shinobi took. The organizational structure of Kiri's ninja was something also covered to give us an idea of how we could possibly be sorted once we made it to genin.

(A lot of long term planning considering half of us had to die to reach genin.)

Getting out into the field and out of the stuffy classrooms was something I was looking forward to, even if it was merely simulation training.

"The objectives for this is simple." Ichijiku-sensei held up a hand, using his fingers to count off each objective. "One: survive for a full four days in Yōkai's Forest. That is, from Thursday morning to Saturday evening." He held up two fingers. "Two: neutralize—_not kill_—as many other teams as you can. For every two teams incapacitated, you will earn five bonus points to your score. Losers will be brought back and given extra lessons to remind them _why_ they're stupid enough to get captured and that they need to be _better_." Three fingers. "Three: your team will be given a scroll, marked with one of the five chakra elements. Your goal will be to collect the scroll with the element that yours is _strong_ against and keep them both safe until the final day."

"The other classes will be participating, with all of you being separated into units of four." Ichijiku's voice was melodic in tone but unbelievably firm. "You won't be aware of your teammates until _after _I give you this slip of paper with their name, their class and your team number written on it. I'd suggest that you all get together and prepare for this event after classes let out."

"You have three days. Before 0800 on Thursday morning, I expect you all to be gathered in front of the Academy and we'll make our way to Yōkai's Forest from there. Oh. And try not to embarrass me out there; I _do _have an image to maintain."

Hmm, sounded fun. I can't recall if the series ever explained if the students actually went on excursions. Honestly, a lot of things that I've learned has never been brought up—at least, I don't remember it. Was it because of the times we grew up in? The era I was born into was one of war. The Third Shinobi World War was in full-swing but Kirigakure had been neutral, not so much as moving a muscle to attack, because we had our own internal disputes to deal with.

(Was it bad that I considered this time to be more peaceful than what I knew would come to pass?)

The rest of the school day passed by with nothing to note and, finally, Ichijiku-sensei began passing out the slips of paper for our team assignments. When he placed the small paper on my desk, I quickly flipped it over. I then proceeded to roll my eyes.

_Team Two_

_Ameyuri Ringo - Class 1-A_

_G__ōzu - Class 1-B_

_Utakata - Class 1-A_

Fortunately, I had been placed together with the only two people who I could truthfully call my friends. _Unfortunately_, Utakata had to be there, being the blemish on this otherwise perfect team. From in front of me, I saw him cast a glance over his shoulder. I barred my teeth in a rather unfriendly manner, causing him to shake his head slightly and turn back around which only served to irritate me further.

With a tiny huff, I leaned back in my seat, arms crossed and teeth gnashing together.

...

(At least it wasn't Mangetsu...)

**~{VIII}~**

"Utakata." I greeted flatly, once classes let out.

"Shizuka." He responded just as deadpanned, his hands fumbling around with that stupid bubble-blower of his.

I pointed a finger at him. "Don't get the wrong idea, Utakata. We're _not_ friends, merely people with a common goal, brought together by uncontrollable circumstances."

He shrugged slightly, rolling his eyes at me. "Okay, whatever you say."

His complete disregard of my declaration made me want to strangle him. My fingers twitched violently at my sides and I opened my mouth to release a verbal shitstorm the likes of which Kirigakure had never seen. I was stopped, however, by Ameyuri and Gōzu trailing up to us.

"What are the odds of us being together?" Gōzu smiled amiably, contently. "I'm really happy, Shizu-chan, Ameyuri-chan." He blinked over at the silent Utakata. "Um, you must be Utakata. It's nice to work together with you. Let's do our best, okay?"

"Stop being nice to him!" I demanded, stomping a foot. "He doesn't deserve your kindness!"

"B-but, Shizu-chan. Not being nice is mean." Gōzu's eyebrows scrunched together and his lips formed a tiny pout. "I don't like being mean to people."

Kami, how did this kid _exist_ in this place!? He was too damn sweet and sappy. Wasn't he a ruthless missing-nin in canon? Did I _really _influence him _that_ much? I smacked my forehead, finding it easier to just let him do whatever the hell that he wanted than try to persuade him to do anything else.

"Fine, fine." I flicked a bit of hair over my shoulder. "I'm hungry. Ameyuri, is Hamaki-san cooking today?"

She tapped her lip in thought, eyes searching the grey skies. "Mm, yeah. She's making miso soup so there should be enough for everyone." She inclined her head towards Utakata. "Wanna come?"

He merely shrugged again. "Okay."

Before he could move, I once again pointed my finger in his face. "You should be grateful that Ameyuri's so hospitable. I suggest you bask in this reprieve because, once this alliance is through, you're back on my shit list and I'm _going_ to blow up that crap store you live in with your fath—!"

"He's _not_ my dad." The normally laidback boy snapped, honey brown eyes narrowing. "Don't _ever _call him that."

I felt my mouth about to go slack but I locked it shut to keep the flabbergasted look from appearing on my face. Even when I did my best to antagonize him, he _never_ snapped at me. Normally, he was stoic and calm, never one to be riled up about anything. This out-of-character moment had to be the most emotion Utakata had shown me and it was because of that asshole man he lived with.

_Who was that man and what was his connection to Utakata...?_

My eyes squinted, my teeth nibbling my bottom lip in thought before I ultimately discarded the moment for later speculation.

"Whatever. He can be your father, your uncle, your brother, your cousin, your damn _dog_—I don't give a shit!" I jabbed his chest. "After this alliance, that store's coming down. Got it? Let's _go_!"

I turned on my heel and, with hands on my hip, marched off towards Ameyuri's house, satisfied that the nature of this shaky relationship was clear.

From behind me I could hear Utakata's irritated sigh, "How do you deal with her?"

There was a pause.

"Mn, Shizu-chan's like an...onion. You just have to peel back her layers."

"To get to a rotten core?" I heard Utakata (the _ass_) grumble.

"_SHUT IT!_"

**~{VIII}~**

"Such a surprise, such a surprise!" Hamaki-san's light voice sighed in happiness. "You've brought home the chibi-chans again, Riri-chan!"

"M-mom! Don't embarrass me again!" Ameyuri squawked, doing her best to push us into the seating room but her mother easily intercepted us. "Mom, no!"

Hamaki Ringo was a peaceful woman who owned a small teahouse that resided in the upper part of the village. Again, she wasn't what I was expecting, like how I hadn't expected the chivalry her daughter had displayed or the gentleness Gōzu managed to retain every time I spoke to him. Through some innocent inquiry, I learned that Hamaki was married to a man named Katsuie Kinkan, a high-ranking member of Strike Division's Assault battalion. Though Hamaki was vague about his whereabouts, I could piece together that either he was dead, that he had abandoned them or _both_.

I remembered how the other Kinkan brats had called Ameyuri's father a traitor, displaying such scorn towards her that could only have been instilled into them by their parents. Why would a clan show such hostility towards the child of one their own? The only logical reason was that Katsuie had left and become a missing-nin, tarnishing the image that the Kinkan clan had in the eyes of Kirigakure and the Mizukage.

Katsuie was gone but his daughter remained and so she became the target of their animosity. _The sins of the father fall to the son_, or in this case, _the sins of the father fall to the daughter._

I couldn't help but wonder why the Kinkan clan hadn't tried to kill Ameyuri and her mother. Not like it would make much of a difference—the damage had already been done to their reputation—but clans in this world could be vindictive and petty. Kirigakure clans in particular were _extremely_ protective of their techniques and secrets, going so far as to kill members who uttered even a whisper to anyone other than clansmen. Hamaki and Ameyuri weren't that important to the village and, if they _mysteriously disappeared_, no one would bother to care.

But here they were, five years following Katsuie's disappearance/death, alive and well. I chalked it up to Hamaki having some kind of social standing or use to Kirigakure's higher ups. Maybe she had some sort of protection from the Mizukage—Yagura's mind wasn't completely gone just yet, if I recalled correctly.

Hamaki herself seemed to be taking everything in stride, in regards to the treatment of her daughter, her daughter's incurable illness and the dubious status of her husband.

She was just..._tranquil_.

For that, Hamaki Ringo had my respect.

"Ah~! How good to see you again, Shizu-chan." I allowed the woman to squish my admittedly fat cheeks with no qualms. "Such chubby cheeks... So adorable. You just get cuter and cuter everyday..."

"I _know_." I said confidently, preening under the woman's words.

She hid her giggle with her kimono sleeve, dark eyes squinting closed as she moved over to her next target. "And Gōzu-kun. I see that you are getting more and more handsome with each day."

Gōzu's cheeks flushed as he fumbled with the edge of his shirt, his brown eyes darting away. "T-thank you, H-Hamaki-san. I-I think you look v-very...pretty today."

A mischievous gleam appeared in her eyes as she once again covered her mouth with a kimono sleeve. "How sweet...! You'll grow into such a fine man... Riri-chan agrees. She just couldn't stop talking about how cute—"

"MOM! STOP IT!"

Hamaki-san continued on as if Ameyuri hadn't spoken and I quietly scoffed at the way Gōzu's and Ameyuri's faces had come to match the color of my hair. Stupid childish crushes. Kami, it—along with my baby teeth falling out—just reminded me of how long of a time I still had left before I hit puberty and grew into the gorgeous, badass kunoichi I knew I was going to be. I couldn't wait to be able to peruse and buy perfume and makeup without shop owners staring at me like I was hot-in-the-ass or something.

(The moment I longed for was _so_ close and yet _so_ far away.)

Hamaki-san stopped at Utakata, appraising him with a critical eye. He met her gaze, his expression oddly blank as the woman circled his form. I narrowed my eyes at him, suspicious of the possibility of him having something up his sleeve.

"What's your name?" The older woman questioned softly.

"Utakata."

Hamaki hummed softly. "Utakata... You must be the one who Shizu-chan talks about with such..._vigor_."

(So I _may_ have gone overboard with my ranting...)

His brown eyes slid over to my face. "...Does she?"

"Yes." The woman tapped a finger on her painted lips. "Is there a reason for such animosity, Utakata-kun?"

My lips pursed together as I watched the scene, hoping that Hamaki-san would see what I saw—a no good brat who shouldn't have been in a higher class ranking than I. I hoped she saw how much of a _fluke_ his abilities were and she'd send him away, never to return to intrude upon my territory.

Hamaki-san and Ameyuri and Gōzu were _mine_ until I got tired of them and—

"I don't mean to cause _Shizu-chan_ any trouble, Hamaki-san." A bashful look appeared on Utakata's face, his cheeks pinkening and eyelashes fluttering. "I just...really want to keep up with her because I..." His eyes shifted over to me nervously, darting back and forth between myself and the floor. "I really _admire_ her."

_Bull-fucking-shit._

I fixed Utakata with a seething glare as Hamaki-san's stern expression melted into something akin to dreamy delight and adoration. She proceeded to squeeze his cheeks and stroke his hair, all while Utakata fixed me with seemingly blank look but _I_ could see the smugness in his eyes. I must've been shaking with anger because Gōzu snagged my sleeve, dragging me away from the sight of Hamaki-san fawning over Utakata and Ameyuri tugging futilely at her mother's sleeve to release the pliant boy.

"Don't get so riled up, Shizu-chan." Gōzu said placatingly, once we reached the sitting room. "Utakata's just trying to fit in."

I turned my searing glare onto him. "Are you siding with _him_!?"

"W-what!? No!" The older boy shook his head slowly, eyebrows furrowing. "You should really calm down, Shizu-chan. I think you might have hypertension."

"Hypertension!? What? Wha—? _High blood pressure_!? Where are you _learning_ this stuff!?"

That was a legitimate question, not blurted out in the heat of the moment. We had a mandatory medical course that covered how to apply basic first-aid—even though it was briefly covered in kunoichi classes—how to perform CPR, stuff like that. But here was Gōzu—_eight year old _Gōzu—saying that I somehow had high blood pressure. I knew Gōzu was studying anatomy shit and I knew of his rather uncanny ability with medical ninjutsu despite his age and lack of proper training but where was he getting a hold of this information!?

(Damn, was Gōzu actually a medical genius!? Was he a male Sakura!?)

"It can be detrimental to your health! I'm not a medic-nin yet so you have to stop getting so angry, Shizu-chan!" He patted my head gently and, for some reason, I could feel my anger slowly dissipating.

(Must've been those sappy brown eyes...)

I huffed, blowing a loose lock of hair from my eyes. I plopped down at the small table, my arms crossed together as Gōzu took his seat next to me. Moments later, Utakata and Ameyuri trailed in and I glared at the pink kiss mark on his forehead. Ameyuri's cheeks were no longer the furious shade of red as before while Utakata stared at me with that stoic look on his face.

"Now you kids just enjoy yourselves while I make dinner." Hamaki-san gushed before swooping out of the doorway, her expensive kimono fluttering in her wake.

Really, Hamaki-san? What a way to make me dislike you. You were _supposed_ to kick this kid out of your house, _not_ treat him like a little angel.

"You're pouting, snaggletooth." Utakata's voice said and I just _snapped_..

"I'LL KILL YOU!" I screamed, slamming my hands down on the table and surging forth to strangle the life out of this brat.

He wasn't even important! Who gave a shit if he was a future jinchūriki!? He was only going to _die_ an—

"Shizuka." Gōzu's voice was uncharacteristically firm. "Calm. Down."

I blinked and leaned back into my previous sitting position on the green zabuton beneath me, arms falling onto the low table as I turned my head to stare at the brown-haired boy with a blank stare.

Did _G__ōzu_ just order _me_ to do something? Was sweet and gentle Gōzu growing a backbone with _me_!?

"...Please?" He tacked on at the end, his head ducking down as uncertainty filled him. "Shizu-chan?"

...

No.

No he wasn't.

(_Good_.)

Now that I think about it, why was I getting all angry in the first place? Utakata was going to die, anyways. There was no need for me to get offended by someone who the village didn't even bother saving. Ha! Even his own village knew he was _worthless_! Inwardly cackling, I smoothed down my hair, ignoring the way Utakata stared at me in perturbation. Gōzu only looked on with that blissful expression on his face, as if he had achieved something, and Ameyuri was busy covering her mouth to stop from laughing. I fought the urge to roll my eyes at their ignorance and stupidity.

"So, let's start planning for this, hm?" I smiled kindly, eyes closing and head tilting to the side.

**~{VIII}~**

For the life of him, Utakata couldn't understand Shizuka.

One moment, she was dignified and composed. Another moment, she was vindictive and hateful. Then, she was wild and vicious. Finally, she was sweet and delicate.

She..._confused _him.

And so did Gōzu and Ameyuri for putting up with her.

_Bipolar much. _He watched on with distinct wariness as the three of them chattered on as if the redhead hadn't just leapt across the table to kill him.

Seriously.

He _swore_ he felt a small surge of _Killing Instinct_ bursting from the redhead_._

After this mock mission was through, Utakata was going to do his best to stay away from the three of them.

(He already had enough troubles to deal with...)

**~{VIII}~**

Our team was an interesting combination of skills.

Ameyuri had a couple lightning jutsu and was actually the best tracker in the class, being able to pick up on environmental disturbances—broken twigs, damaged leaves, footprints, weak chakra residue—better than anyone else. She could also _sense_ people but not in the same fashion as a sensor-nin; she said it was a jutsu she learned from her father's old scrolls but I didn't really pay attention. She was also quite aggressive with her kenjutsu but couldn't take too many hits—probably due to her illness—effectively making her into a glass cannon.

Gōzu was our medic-nin since he could..._actually_ use medical ninjutsu. Granted, it was only a light healing technique, a weak offensive technique and the _Diagnostic Jutsu _but the amount of chakra control needed for all those was still pretty insane. He was decent with kenjutsu and taijustu and had some experience with water jutsu but he only really used the _Water Clone _and the _Hiding in Water_ techniques. Gōzu wasn't as useless as Konoha's medic-nin, who were prohibited from fighting on the frontlines, because Kiri didn't follow the same medical procedures.

Utakata was a sensor—certainly not the best but not the worse—but his perception range was the biggest in the class. Utakata was good with water ninjutsu, was pretty quick on his feet but he didn't hit as hard as Ameyuri or I. He was better at bukijutsu and preferred it, more often than not. I wondered if he knew about _Soap Bubble Ninjutsu_ since he loved that ugly green bubble blower of his, but I decided against telling him because there was no damn way I was going to give him an edge over me.

As for me, I was the assault/tank unit. I was the most physically sturdy and hit the hardest but my speed was something that needed to be worked on. I had a few fire ninjutsu that were pretty useful—my favorite being the _Fire Clone Jutsu_—and, with my large chakra stores, I counted that I could perform up to twenty low-ranked jutsu before tiring. Combined with the newest addition of explosive tags to my repertoire of items, I could set up some pretty nasty traps given enough preparation.

During the days leading up to the mock mission, we mostly ended up training together and planning out the various ways we'd approach this whole thing but ultimately decided that we'd make up something once we got into the forest. When Thursday morning finally rolled around, I ate a hardy breakfast, stared at my neighbor's door for a few seconds because he'd been oddly quiet for a few days before shrugging it off and heading to the Academy, where I met my teammates with a grunt of greeting.

"You guys ready?" Ameyuri asked with excitement, hopping up and down slightly. "I can't wait to get started!"

"It's too early to be so jumpy..." I heard Utakata mutter as he drowsily blew a few bubbles into the crisp morning air. "Please...stop moving so much, Ringo-san."

"No! _A-me-yu-ri_! I told you to call me Ameyuri! We're teammates now, okay?"

"Yes, yes... Just don't move a lot. It's making my head hurt..."

I ignored them both, thinking it better to scout out the potential threats, though, there was only one in the form of Mangetsu Hōzuki. Scanning the crowd for his head full of white hair—which was admittedly difficult because he wasn't the only Hōzuki or person in general with white hair—I finally found him, laughing along with a Hoshigaki boy named Unagi. Lingering next to them, I spotted a brown-haired kid with this _look_ on his face and he looked really famil—

"Is that—?" I squinted. "Is that _Meizu_!? Gōzu, why didn't you tell me—!?"

I turned to look towards the boy, only to find him staring in the direction of his brother. His eyes were unfocused and it seemed as if something on his mind was bothering him. Did it have to do with Meizu?

"Gōzu." I flicked his ear. "_G__ōzu!_"

He jumped a littly, yelping softly as he turned his head in my direction. "What's wrong, Shizu-chan?"

"You. Your brother. What's the problem?" I asked bluntly.

"A-ah..." He trailed off, not really saying much as his gaze drifted back over to his brother. "Um, well, Meizu has been acting wierd lately..." He grimaced at the flat look I gave him. "I-I mean, well, I can't really explain it... He hasn't been all the way _there_, you know?"

That would happen if you hung around with psychopathic kids named Zabuza Momochi. "You're worried?"

He nodded, letting his eyes fall to the ground. "I think he's still hanging with that Zabuza kid... I wish he'd listen to me and stay away from him." Gōzu looked back up at me with darkened eyes. "For some reason, I feel really..._scared_ about something, Shizu-chan."

I didn't say anything, deciding it was better to just...place a hand on his shoulder. I don't know what made me do it, probably because I didn't want him sulking and distracted while when we were about to enter a dangerous forest, filled with enemies and who-knows-what else. He _was_ our medic, the most valuble member of any cell, and I needed him with all his wits about him if we were going to get a high score on this.

My silent support seemed to do the trick, for his eyes had returned to their familiar bright hue. He opened his mouth to say something but he was interuppted.

"All right, brats!" Ibari-sensei, the eye patched man, boomed out. "We're headin' out! Better keep up!"

Still, even with whatever was wrong with Gōzu temporarily resolved, I couldn't help but wonder if he even knew his brother was on a team with Mangetsu. Did Gōzu even keep up with Meizu anymore? Was it because of me? Really, it wasn't _my_ fault if Gōzu knew that I was the superior companion nor was it my fault that Gōzu had turned into a neglectful brother.

I shook my head, dismissing the useless thoughts floating around in my head as I fell in line. What the Demon Brothers did was none of my business, unless it had a direct impact on the wellbeing of my person.

(But, I couldn't seem to get the..._disturbed_ look I saw on Meizu's face out of my mind nor the worry that was etched across Gōzu's.)

**~{VIII}~**

The hike to Yōkai's Forest was a good two-hour walk from Kirigakure. The legends behind it were simple: demons lived there and, if you found yourself there alone or vulnerable, you'd run into an unfortunate fate. Kids in my class liked to tell stories about relatives or friends who'd disappeared once they entered, never to return because ghosts or demons had eaten or killed them—ya know, the usual scare tactics to impress any listeners.

I can't say that I'm a skeptic. Not only counting that I have the mind of a grown woman inhabiting the body of a seven year old in a place that was once fiction but, even with my mind constantly remembering and forgetting things from my past life, there are distinct fragments that refuse to be lost. I can remember seeing and experiencing things that couldn't be explained and the only proof that I had was my own word. Back in that other world, when people didn't believe me, I eventually began telling myself that I was tired and stressed from classes or I was just being paranoid.

I couldn't use those kind of excuses here, not with shit like the Shinigami being summoned or the Tailed Beasts being in existence or fucking _chakra_ making it possible to walk on water, which was like the epitome of godliness in that other world.

So, I couldn't stop the…_anxious_ (because this Shizuka is afraid of _nothing_) shiver that ran up my spine when we reached the entrance to Yōkai's Forest.

Yōkai's Forest was Kiri's equivalent to the Forest of Death in Konoha. I think I remember hearing that it was one of the places where Kirigakure held their Chūnin Exams. Kiri actually rotated between several areas randomly for the Exams. To keep things fresh for the participants, I guess. In this point in time, there were no alliances between the other villages. Even then, Kirigakure _still_ wouldn't be able to participate in any other Chūnin Exams hosted by other villages because of the Bloodline Purges and Yagura's eventual death.

A moat filled with murky, viscous-looking swamp water surrounded the perimeter of the forest and—

(Oh shit! Did I just see a _tentacle with an eye_ peeking out of the water!?)

—it was gated off with various signs of warning and what looked to be barrier and containment seals doting along the tall, wired fence. The stories of children entering alone wouldn't seem so likely, considering there was no way they would have the knowledge to deactivate the various seals, but the entrance gate didn't even have any seals on them, just a warning sign and a length of chain that could easily be pulled off.

Honestly, it looked like the seals were more from keeping something from getting_ out_ than keeping people from getting _in_.

"Here we are, brats! When we call your team, come on up, get your scroll and map!" Ibari-sensei called out, jerking his thumb towards the gated forest entrance. "Then, head in!"

"Team One: Noriaki Kakyoin, Koichi Hirose, Josuke Higashikata and Jotaro Kujo."

I tilted my head.

(Why did those names make want to pose fantastically and point at someone?)

...

"Team Two: Ameyuri Ringo, Utakata, Shizuka and Gōzu."

I glared lightly at Ichijiku-sensei as we stepped up. I moved to snatch the scroll and map from his hands but he lifted them out of reach, staring down at us—_me_ in particular—with a charming smile.

"Do take care not to get caught by the Gashadokuro, okay?"

"What the hell is that?"

Utakata blew a bubble as he looked at me from the corner of his eye. "It's a giant skeleton made of the bones of people who have died from starvation. They wander around, grab you, bite your head off, drink your blood, and add your skeleton to the pile."

…

_Fuck_.

I scoffed snatching the items from the man's hands, tucking them both down into my sash. Without a second glance, I dashed through the gates and into the dark forest with my teammates following close behind me.

(This Shizuka was _not_ afraid of giant skeleton monsters—or _anything_!)

**~{VIII}~**

"Utakata..." My lips pursed in distaste as I whispered his name, irritated that I needed his help. "Can you sense anyone else around us?"

His visible eye closed and his hands formed what I referred to as the _sensor seal_, as I've seen multiple people perform the same hand sign to mold chakra for sensing—one hand up with index and middle fingers pointing skywards.

Seconds after gathering chakra and being completely still, his eyebrows scrunched together and he shifted away from me a bit.

I frowned, eyes narrowing. "Got anything?"

His lips pulling down in distaste as his eyes opened. "Four enemies. And your horribly _hot_ chakra."

"Horrible!?" I bit out lowly, barring my teeth as I moved to lunge towards him. "What did you—!?"

"Stop it." Discomfort played over his features as he scooted away a bit more. "I _hate_ the heat and _you_ keep generating it. Horrible."

I opened my mouth to say something scathing in response but, remembering where we were and what we were doing, I swallowed the words with a disgruntled huff and a dismissive wave of my hand. "Whatever. Ameyuri, you ready?"

She nodded with a small smile. "Ready, Zuzu-tan."

Inwardly growling at the horrendous pet name she'd given me, outwardly, I allowed a small smile to cross my face as I turned back to the other two. Brushing a loose bit of hair from my face, I squinted through the heavy mist, allowing my eyes to get used to using the _Mist Vision Technique, _a hiden passed down to all Kiri-nin to see through the First Mizukage's chakra-laced haze.

According to Ichijiku-sensei, Byakuren created it for the obvious reason to allow his own forces to see but to also allow them to see through _any_ conditions created through water in the air. A _very _useful ability in Water Country, the more mastery you have over it, the less effort needed to activate it, eventually making it into a passive ability.

("Passive ability." Sounds like a video game thing, huh?)

Lifting a hand for the other three to see, I began to slowly countdown.

(Three.)

(Two.)

(One.)

Cutting off the chakra keeping me anchored onto the tree branch, I began my descent. Just as I dropped, my opponent looked up, eyes widening in alarm.

"We're being ambushed!" He roared, hands coming together and forming the hand seals for that kami-forsaken _Violent Water Wave Technique._ I rolled my eyes in exasperation and annoyance. Didn't any of these brats learn the _other_ C-ranked water jutsu? There were so many they could use and, yet they mimicked _stupid_ Mangetsu and learned that shit jutsu he loved to spam.

I rolled my eyes, swiftly performing hand signs.

_Boar. Dragon. Tiger._

_Breath in_—

_Hold it in!_

"_Lightning Style: Lightning Bolt!_"

"_Water Style: Violent Water Wave!_"

From the corner of my eye, I saw a bolt of lightning shoot out, connecting with the torrent of water in the process of traveling to hit me full-force. Electricity crackled and, abruptly, the water fell lifelessly as its caster dropped to the ground, twitching. Cackling mentally, I released the mid-sized ball of fire I'd been holding upon my pathetically disoriented opponents as something else—a kunai with an explosive tag attached—zipped past me and embedded itself into the ground.

(How long had that exchange taken? Five seconds? And they _still_ weren't prepared!?)

The resulting detonation was moderately large but not strong enough to do more than stun and give some painful burns. I grunted at the slight stinging I recieved from the blast but the cries of pain and panic was enough for me to get over it. I landed on the balls of my feet and, using the leftover momentum, lunged forth to tackled my opponent onto the ground. A groan of pain was cut off by me swiftly knocking him out and, within the span of a few more seconds, the rest of his team was on the ground unconscious.

"Find the scroll?"

"Yeah..." Ameyuri pouted. "But they have earth."

"Shit, we have wind." I grumbled but rolled my eyes. "Gōzu."

He nodded as pulled out the flare stuffed in one of our opponents' packs. He set it off quickly, alerting one of the instructers of a downed team. I rolled my shoulders as I stood back up, collecting the kunai on the ground and handing it back to Utakata with a frown. He stared at me with a cocked eyebrow.

"How are you not burned?" He questioned, placing the weapon back in his pouch.

I smirked, flicking a bit of hair over my shoulder. "Wouldn't _you_ like to know?"

I had a theory that I had some innate fire resistance due to my fire affinity but, for all I knew, it was because I was just _really_ badass and lowly injuries such as burns couldn't hope to hinder me.

He shurgged. "Whatever. Let's get going before another team finds us. You know you can't fight on even grounds."

"Shut the hell up." I hissed but relented when two of the teachers—Ibari-sensei and some woman I didn't recognize—gathered up the incapacitated group. The eyepatched man gave us a grin and a two-fingered wave before poofing back out of sight.

After gathering our bearings, we set for our next targets.

(And we _still _haven't encountered any Gashadokuro. Thank kami—)

**~{VIII}~**

Zabuza could tell Meizu was uncomfortable.

It wasn't hard to see.

He kept shuffling his feet. His eyes kept darting to and fro, never quite staying in one place. His fingers trembled as they messed with a loose thread on his hoodie. He was trying to ignore what was in front of them.

Zabuza couldn't.

The man was shaking, sweat dripping down his face and making his already greasy skin greasier. His wrists and ankles were tied to the headboard of his rickety bed and a pair of most likely soiled underwear were stuffed into his mouth, muffling his pitiful cries and futile screams. His eyes were wide with terror and desperation, the dialated pupils darting back and forth between himself, Meizu and Jūzō-san.

"Now then." A sick smile was on the Swordsman's face. "Who wants to go first?"

Zabuza cast a glance over to his friend, noting the way the color drained from his face. He didn't even need that long to make a decision. "I'll go first... Old man."

If possible, the grin on his face grew wider and he beckoned Zabuza. Clutching the hilt of his newly-purchased sword a bit tighter, the older boy stepped towards the bed and their captive. He felt the Old Man's hand drop onto his head, ruffling up his spikes as he stared down at the trembling man.

"Go on, Zabuza. _Do it_."

He unsheathed his blade, letting it clatter onto the wooden floor. The man's body tensed and his eyes flew up to his face, then to the sword in his hand. Zabuza tilted his head, lifting his sword up, intrigued at the way the man's eyes would follow it.

Why was he following the sword? It was _him_ who was actually holding it. Shouldn't he be looking at him?

Abruptly, he brought the sword down with as much strength as he could. Blood splattered into his eyes, keeping him from seeing exactly where he had hit the man. Jūzō-san's laughter and the man's smothered screams became nothing more than background noise as he wiped the stinging red liquid from his eyes with a sleeve, mentally frowning because now his favorite shirt was ruined. Once through, he blinked down at the squirming man.

Ah, he had gotten one of his legs, right in the thigh.

Zabuza couldn't help but look at the blood, flesh, fat and bone. He lifted the sword back up and swiftly brought it back down, frowning at the way his sword caught on the man's bone. Readjusting his grip, he put all his weight down, watching with amazement as the bone gave way and his sword slid down unhampered.

...

He couldn't stop himself, for some reason.

When one limb gave way, he moved onto the next one almost automatically. Blood splattered onto him, onto the bedding, the floors—even back onto his face and into his eyes.

But he couldn't close them.

He couldn't _stop_.

He had been plunged into a void where the only sounds he could hear were his raging heartbeat and his ragged gasps.

"—ey!"

His hands wouldn't stop.

"He—!"

Even when there was nothing left, he couldn't stop.

"_Zabuza!_"

The sword fell from his hands, dropping onto the floor next to his feet as something large and warm jerked his shoulder.

...

Everything was starting to come back to him.

He felt like he was burning up.

His hands were shaking.

He couldn't catch his breath.

He couldn't blink.

...

"So, how'dya feel, brat?" Jūzō-san asked and Zabuza noticed that the Swordsman wasn't using his name any longer.

He couldn't form words so he nodded.

"Felt good?"

The adrenaline was beginning to wear off, leaving him feeling cold and empty. He didn't like that frigid feeling, that feeling of _nothingness_. That feeling of being so full of warmth, only to have it taken away from him so quickly.

He swallowed, ignoring the metal tang on his tongue. "...W-when can I do it again?"

Jūzō-san stared down at him before that racous laughter once again filled the room. His eyes wandered over to his friend, who only stared at him with this blank _look_. Zabuza could see his mouth moving and, if he strained hard enough, he could hear his words.

"—ve. They die. Things are born. Live. Die. Born. Live. Die. Born. Live. Die. Born. Die. Born. Liv—"

...

For some reason, he had the urge to laugh with Jūzō-san.

And so he did.

* * *

**.**

* * *

**A/N:** Goodness, this chapter took me a while. I kept wanting to add a ton of information expanding on Kirigakure's organizational structure but it didn't fit so I left it for a more opprotune time. Shameless insertion of _JoJo_ characters because I couldn't think of any other names so don't worry about any crossovers or anything. The whole excursion thing was inspired by another SI called _Firestorm_ by **ViolaPlayer**. They haven't updated in two years which makes me upset because the story was very good. Someone thought it was boring but I found it well-written and a different take on characters inserted as Naruto.

I think my favorite parts of this chapter are the ones that include Zabuza, Meizu and Jūzō-san. I think I may have broken Meizu. Free cookies to anyone who can figure who Zabuza murdered lol

Let's see, I had this **huge** urge to write all the jutsu in romanji (because it sounds cooler) but translations would've been necessary and I felt it would've broken the pacing. Plus, it feels rudundant to me. They _are_ speaking in something akin to Japanese so... It's hard to explain :(

I think that's it for now. Oh! I'm posting a poll on my account because I'm planning a AU to this story where Shizuka's mother actually makes it to where she intended. I wanted to know if you guys wanted it to take place during the current time (Third Shinobi War) or during the start of the series for extra AU goodness. It won't be up for a long while but I _am _planning it.

Thank you for all the favorites, follows and reviews~! Special shoutout to **GaleSynch**. Thank you for reading and liking this story. I really love your stories as well. The master-slave thing made me laugh because that's actually going to be mentioned in later chapters XD

I love you guys~! And I'll see you next chapter!

I also changed my name so there's that :)


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